Southern Nevada girls volleyball playoffs open Monday with 5A and 3A regional quarterfinals, while the 4A state tournament begins Tuesday. Bishop Gorman enters the 5A postseason as the heavy favorite to win a fourth consecutive state championship despite graduating the state's all-time kills leader Ayanna Watson and all-time assists leader Trinity Thompson, both now at Pitt.
The Gaels (29-6) have not lost a match to a Nevada opponent this season, dropping only six sets to in-state teams across 16 matches. Gorman has relied on a balanced attack led by seniors Aliana Breitling (276 kills) and Chloe Lopez (427 digs, 49 aces), junior Boyana Pesic (206 kills, 469 assists), sophomore Zarah Ghadban (276 kills), and senior Ashiedu Nwuli, who leads the state with a .437 hitting percentage to go with 207 kills and 115 blocks.
Faith Lutheran (28-7), the Mountain League champion, appears to be Gorman's strongest challenger behind sophomore Abby Bunyan (359 kills) and junior Ellee Ford (454 digs). Foothill (22-10) pushed Gorman to five sets on Oct. 20 and holds the Desert League's No. 2 seed, which would keep the Falcons away from the Gaels until a potential region final. Coronado, the runner-up to Gorman the past three years, faces Palo Verde in a quarterfinal Monday, with the winner likely meeting Gorman in the semifinals.
In 4A, defending state champion Sierra Vista (23-12) went 17-0 against 4A opponents and lost only five sets all season. Sophomores Averie Gidge (355 kills, 60 aces) and Lyla Sneek (533 assists, 121 digs) lead the Mountain Lions, who earned the Mountain League's No. 1 seed and a bye to the state quarterfinals. Sierra Vista will host the 4A semifinals and final in November.
Desert Oasis, which finished second to Sierra Vista in the Mountain League, won three sets against the Mountain Lions during the regular season and was the only 4A team to do so, signaling a potential rematch in the postseason.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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