The Pahrump Valley High School boys’ volleyball team opened its official season this week, hosting Coral Academy on Wednesday, March 4, in the program’s first regular-season matchup of the year. While the Trojans ultimately fell in three sets, the team showed resilience, flashes of strong offense, and several impressive defensive moments that highlighted the group’s potential as the season begins to take shape.
From the opening point of the match, the Trojans came out energized. Andy Sanchez set the tone early, tipping the ball over the net for the first point of the season before following it up with a powerful spike that helped keep Pahrump Valley competitive in the opening rally exchanges. Sanchez continued to be a key offensive presence throughout the night, repeatedly finding open space on the floor and delivering hard-driven attacks.
James Wilson also contributed offensively in the early going, connecting on a spike behind the setter that helped keep the Trojans within reach as the first set developed. On defense, Elijah Thompson made one of the early highlights of the match with a strong return on a hard Coral Academy spike, keeping the rally alive before Sanchez finished the play with a well-placed attack to the back corner to push the score to 4–1.
Coral Academy responded with a series of strong serves and attacks, slowly building momentum as the set progressed. The Trojans continued to fight for points, including another well-executed set behind the play to Sanchez for a spike that extended the early lead to 5–2. However, the Falcons began to string together points through aggressive serving and timely blocks, eventually pulling ahead.
Despite the Trojans’ efforts to slow the run—including capitalizing on an illegal serve by Coral Academy—the visitors maintained control late in the set. Coral Academy closed out the first set 25–13.
The second set proved challenging for Pahrump Valley as Coral Academy jumped out to an early lead. Sanchez again helped spark the Trojan offense with a hard spike to earn one of the team’s first points of the set. As Coral continued to build its lead, the Trojans looked for opportunities to respond, capitalizing on Falcon errors including spikes sailing out of bounds.
One of the standout defensive moments of the set came when Sanchez recorded a solo block at the net, drawing excitement from the crowd and briefly halting Coral Academy’s scoring run. The Trojans also gained points on Falcon mistakes, including attacks into the net and deep spikes that landed beyond the baseline. Still, Coral Academy maintained control and closed the second set 25–11.
The third set brought renewed energy for the Trojans and provided their strongest stretch of the night. Coral Academy opened with a trio of aces, but Pahrump quickly responded with improved defense and communication. The Trojans earned a point on a well-timed block before Alexander Mahoney delivered an ace serve to bring the team within one.
Momentum continued to shift when Coral Academy committed a double hit, tying the score at 3–3. A highlight moment soon followed when the Trojans made an impressive defensive save during a long rally, managing to keep the ball alive before sending it back over the net where it fell untouched on the Coral side of the court. The play sparked loud cheers from the home crowd as Pahrump Valley took a 5–4 lead.
The Trojans continued to apply pressure, forcing Coral Academy into errors including a serve that sailed too deep and a spike into the net that helped extend Pahrump’s lead to 9–6. Sanchez remained a focal point offensively, delivering several more powerful spikes and keeping the Trojans within striking distance.
Late in the set, the Trojans showed their determination by narrowing the gap with several key points. Coral Academy committed multiple service errors and struggled briefly with serve reception, allowing Pahrump to close the deficit to just one point at 17–16. Despite the surge, the Falcons regained momentum late and finished the set 25–17 to secure the match.
After the game, Head Coach Amber Lugo emphasized the team’s effort and the positives to take away from the season opener.
“I am proud of the way they didn’t give up. There were some pretty amazing defensive plays. Coral Academy is a solid program and we may have lost but we battled! We have a good gauge of what we need to work on and we will continue to improve,” Lugo said.
She also praised the group’s attitude and love for the sport as the program continues to grow.
“I love this group of boys! They are so fun to be around because they love the game.”
While the final score did not fall in their favor, the Trojans’ first official match provided valuable experience and showed glimpses of what the team can build on moving forward. With strong leadership on the court and a determined mindset, Pahrump Valley will look to continue developing its rhythm and sharpening its skills as the season progresses.
