The Pahrump Valley High School varsity girls’ volleyball team put together a strong road performance Tuesday, Sept. 1, sweeping Boulder City in three sets.
The Trojans controlled much of the match, taking the opening set 25-16 before following with a 25-17 victory in the second. Boulder City challenged Pahrump early in the third, but the Trojans worked through the pressure and pulled away for a 25-20 win to complete the sweep.
Pahrump wasted little time establishing itself in the opening set. Miani Freitas-Faamai opened the scoring with a kill before Xe’ane Kamanu delivered back-to-back aces, helping the Trojans jump ahead 3-0 and prompting an early Boulder City timeout.
Olivia Veloz added to the run with a quick-set kill, and Riley Saldaña soon found the floor with another attack as Pahrump built a 5-1 advantage. The Trojans continued creating separation behind a combination of aggressive serving and attacks from across the front row.
Saldaña helped extend the lead during a trip to the service line, while Kamanu placed a kill along the left sideline for a 15-7 advantage. Henna Maiava followed with an ace, stretching the margin to nine.
Freitas-Faamai used a well-placed tip to keep Pahrump moving toward the finish, and Saldaña continued finding openings in the Boulder City defense. Veloz contributed an ace for a 19-10 lead before Saldaña’s tip made it 21-15.
A quick set from Maiava to Mckinsey Nottingham helped the Trojans reach 22, and Pahrump closed out the set with a block at the net and a Saldaña kill for the 25-16 victory.
The Trojans carried that momentum into the second set. Maiava recorded an early ace as Pahrump opened a 3-0 lead, and Kaitlyn Brown delivered a kill to keep the Trojans in front after Boulder City began cutting into the margin.
Saldaña repeatedly challenged the middle of the court with powerful attacks, putting down kills for 5-4, 9-4 and 11-5 advantages. Veloz also helped Pahrump build its lead from the service line.
Kamanu joined the attack with a kill for a 13-6 advantage, and the Trojans continued to spread the offense around. A quick set to Veloz helped create another scoring opportunity that Kamanu finished off, and Maiava followed with an ace for a 17-9 lead.
Pahrump’s play at the net remained a factor as the set continued. Veloz came up with a block before Kamanu’s attack deflected off the Boulder City blockers and out, and the Trojans later won a long rally to move ahead 19-9.
Freitas-Faamai put down a kill late in the set, and another quick set to her resulted in a ball off the blockers that brought Pahrump to set point at 24-15. Boulder City fought off two opportunities before a service error gave the Trojans the 25-17 win.
Boulder City came out with more momentum in the third and took an early 2-0 lead, but Pahrump quickly settled in. Kamanu forced a net violation with an attack before Veloz combined with Brown at the net to even the score.
The teams continued trading points until Pahrump began to take control. Kamanu hammered a kill, and Mahina Decambra’s ensuing serve helped the Trojans tie the set at 6. Saldaña then delivered a block and followed with a tip off a Maiava set to give Pahrump an 8-6 advantage.
Sedona Norton made her presence felt defensively with several digs, including one that helped keep a rally alive before Saldaña finished the point with a tip for a 9-6 lead.
Saldaña later dropped an ace just inside the court, while Decambra came up with a strong dig that eventually resulted in a Boulder City attack going out. Norton then stepped behind the service line and delivered consecutive aces, extending the Trojans’ lead to 14-10 and forcing a Boulder City timeout.
Boulder City narrowed the gap to 15-14, but the Trojans did not surrender the lead. After a Boulder City service error, Kamanu took over at the line. She recorded an ace, forced another difficult return and then added another ace that rolled over the net as Pahrump surged ahead 20-14.
Saldaña added a kill to make it 21-14, and although Boulder City made one more push late in the set, Pahrump remained composed. The Trojans reached match point at 24-20 before Norton’s serve went unreturned, sealing the 25-20 set and the three-set road victory.
