Lady Panthers top Lincoln in playoff tuneup

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Dave Maxwell Bridon Lewis (4) of Lincoln and a teammate block a shot by a Pahranagat Valley player in their in-county match Tuesday. PVHS won 3-0. Both teams play this Saturday in their respective league tournaments with a chance to advance to the state tournament Nov. 13-14 in Las Vegas and Henderson.
Dave Maxwell
Bridon Lewis (4) of Lincoln and a teammate block a shot by a Pahranagat Valley player in their in-county match Tuesday. PVHS won 3-0. Both teams play this Saturday in their respective league tournaments with a chance to advance to the state tournament Nov. 13-14 in Las Vegas and Henderson.

?It was a good practice game.?

That?s what Lincoln County girls volleyball coach Ken Thornock said about the match with in-county rival Pahranagat Valley Tuesday night in Alamo.

The Lady Panthers won 3-0, by scores of 25-16, 25-21 and 25-22. But Thornock focused more on the need for the team to keep up their intensity. ?That?s why it was a good practice game. Against Alamo, you can?t fluctuate with your intensity. You?ve got to stay up the whole time. That?s our biggest issue and how we play every point.?

He said ?Ginger (Alamo coach Ginger Whipple) and I were talking afterwards, and we both felt we couldn?t have had a better practice game. Unfortunately there was a win or loss attached to the practice, and hopefully it will get the girls fired up for the league tournament. But we?ll take everything we learned today and bring that full intensity.?

The Lady Lynx were coming off two home wins in a doubleheader against Agassi Prep last Thursday. The scores were 25-9, 25-17 and 25-6, 25-15.

Whipple said the Pahranagat girls can probably handle what they will face next in the division tournament in Alamo this Saturday, ?but we have a lot of work to do to go into state.?

Pahranagat Valley (22-6) is the two-time defending league and state champions.

Both teams play in their respective league tournaments this Saturday.

The four-team Division III tourney has the semifinals and finals at Agassi Prep, and Pahranagat Valley hosting the Division IV semifinals and finals.

In Division III, Lincoln (19-12) faces White Pine (26-1) at noon in the semifinals. The Meadows (17-10) plays Calvary Chapel (19-9) at 1:45. Championship match is at 4 p.m.

As the first place team in Division IV Southern, PVHS and second place Sandy Valley earned first round byes, and move directly to the semifinals to be played this Saturday in Alamo. Championship will be at 4 p.m.

The Division III state tournament is Nov. 13-14 at Coronado and Foothill High Schools in Henderson.

The Division IV state tournament is also Nov. 13-14 at Foothill High in Henderson.