Pahranagat Valley High School is hosting the 1A Southern Regional volleyball tournament this weekend.
They earned the right with a 3-0 win over second place Beatty last weekend by scores 25-14, 25-12, 25-13 to gain the home court advantage. As the No. 1 and 2 seeds respectively, Pahranagat and Beatty both get byes into the semifinals in Alamo this Saturday.
Coach Ginger Whipple said she fully expects to see Beatty again in the championship match. “I would be shocked if it were otherwise. It would be one of those upsets that would shock everybody in the division.” The Hornets (17-3, 6-1) were third in the league last year, but finished No. 2 this year. The two Saturday finalists will advance to the state tournament next weekend in Sparks and Reno.
Alyson Egbert, a four-year player for Pahranagat, said she feels really honored to have always played the regional tournament on her home court. “I have never travelled for regionals. I’m very excited.” And she is not alone, the other veteran seniors on the team, Allyse Frehner and Madison Harris, have never traveled for regionals either.
Whipple said the matches with Beatty were somewhat close in the first set. “We were back and forth until about 13-14. Beatty did not disappoint. They are scrappers, and I expected them to do that. It was senior night for us and there was a lot of emotion and energy in the gym and on the court.”
In other playoff first round matches on Wednesday this week, Indian Springs (7-7) played at Beaver Dam (8-6) and Word of Life (4-11) played at Tonopah (14-13).
On Tuesday, Pahranagat Valley and Lincoln squared off in Panaca for a regular season ending match, in effect, a tune-up for their respective league tournaments. The Panther girls won a marathon second set en route to a 25-21, 32-30, 25-12 road victory.
Karley Whipple led PVHS with 12 kills, 13 digs and three aces. Alyson Egbert added seven kills, and Madison Harris had six kills, five aces and four digs for Pahranagat Valley (19-6).
Cameron Lloyd had 17 digs, and Kendra Mathews had five kills and five blocks for the Lynx.
Lincoln (20-15) is hosting the 2A Southern Regionals on Saturday. The No. 3 seeded Lady Lynx play No. 2 The Meadows (25-9), and No. 1 Calvary Chapel (26-5) plays Agassi Prep (10-7).
In the 1A Northern regional, defending state champion Smith Valley (20-5-2), is the No. 1 seed into the Northern Regional tournament this weekend at Elko High School.
The schedule has Owyhee facing Sage Ridge (8-6), Smith Valley vs. Eureka (5-5), Virginia City (22-4) vs. Jackpot, and Wells (18-11) vs. Coleville (13-6). The two finalists advance to the state tournament No. 11-12 in Sparks and Reno.
NIAA playoff admission prices will apply.
