FERNLEY — After making the most significant improvement from a season ago in the Northern 2A, the Battle Mountain High School volleyball team found itself in the regional championships this past Saturday in Fernley.
Sondra Torgerson came back to lead the Lady Longhorns to the No. 4 seed at 8-6 in league play. Standing in the way of Battle Mountain making it to the state tournament, was a meeting with defending state champion and perennial power Yerington.
The nerves showed in the beginning for Battle Mountain, who lost the first set 25-9. The Lady Longhorns fought back later in the match but lost the final two sets 25-15 and 25-20.
“We were nervous at the start, plus we were playing a pretty good team,” said Torgerson. “We played better in the final two sets and made them earn it in the third set. I am proud of the girls.”
After giving up the first two points of the opening set to Yerington, Battle Mountain bounced back with kills from Marissa Rogers and Riane Schroeder to tie the set at 2-2. However, the Lions responded with nine straight points, including four aces to increase the advantage to 11-2 and force the Lady Longhorns to call a timeout.
Yerington missed a serve coming out of the break in action, but gradually increased the lead throughout. Yulisa Vazquez and Rogers had kills late in the set for Battle Mountain.
Schroeder gave the Lady Longhorns the early lead in set two off a kill, but the Lions responded with a 7-1 run and did not trail again. Yerington opened up a 10-point margin at 18-8, but Rogers closed the gap to seven point after consecutive kills.
Battle Mountain closed within six points at 19-13 after a missed serve by Yerington and a tip by Schroeder. However, that was as close as the Lady Longhorns got.
The third set featured 11 ties, with Battle Mountain taking its first lead at 3-2 on an ace by Liscet Diaz. The two rivals traded points, with the Lady Longhorns going back up 5-4 on a tip by Schroeder.
A service error by Yerington gave Battle Mountain the lead at 10-9, but the Lions bounced back with a 5-1 run to go in front 14-11. With its season on the line, the Lady Longhorns fought back with a block by Jade Smith and a kill by Schroeder.
Battle Mountain held a 16-14 advantage at that point, but Yerington countered with a 5-0 run and never trailed again.
Vazquez had a team-high 12 assists to go with three digs and one kill. Schroeder had four kills and two blocks, McKenna Jones two blocks, two digs and one. Sammi Wilson led the Lady Longhorns with seven kills along with one ace and Diaz had one ace, one dig and one kill.
Jonni Davis had three digs, Rogers two blocks, one assist and four kills, Isabella DeAllah two kills, one assist & six digs and Smith had one block.
White Pine defeated Incline in three sets in the other semifinal.
Yerington beat White Pine in three sets to win the regional championship.
Both teams advance to the NIAA 2A State Championships at Sparks and Damonte Ranch high schools this weekend.
