Pershing County High School volleyball players love a challenge.
Coaches Monica Halverson and Nancy Meissner gave them one at a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, June 3.
The coaches will post volleyball workouts on a private Facebook page every Monday throughout the summer.
It will include cardio, push-ups, sit-ups, walking, cycling and other components.
Even if they’re out of town, the girls could do crunches in the hotel room or jog up and down the stairs, said the coach.
The players will post pictures of themselves completing the exercises. As a motivational tool, Halverson will use the photos to create collages and side-by-sides.
Also, the girls who complete at least 85 percent of the workouts get an added incentive – their names printed on the backs of their volleyball hoodies for free.
Last season the Mustangs made it to the playoffs for the first time in three years. Their year was full of ups and downs.
First, the ups: On Friday, Oct. 18, they hosted North Tahoe, one of the top-ranked teams in the league, slamming them in four sets (25-22, 18-25, 26-24, 25-15). The win boosted Pershing’s confidence.
Halverson noticed her hitters placing the ball before sending it sailing over the net. She also observed improved communication between team members.
“For me, beating North Tahoe at home was the highlight of the season,” said Coach Halverson. “It propelled us to believe we could beat them in the first round of the playoffs.”
However, on Friday, Nov. 8, the Lovelock girls lost to the Tahoe in the Yerington High School gym. This time Tahoe rallied to beat Pershing in three sets (18-25, 22-25, 17-25), handing the Mustangs a season-ending playoff loss.
Pershing County ended the year at 9-17 overall, and 6-10 in the Northern 2A League.
According to Halverson, the team gained valuable experience by competing in the playoffs.
“We had an amazing season with lots of learning, trials and lessons that will help us be a stronger unit next year,” said the coach after the loss. “Sometimes stepping up and playing hard is a battle in itself.”
Now, several returning players stand poised at the beginning of their senior years: Josie Crim, Aimee Carpenter, Cheyeanne Diaz, Hannah Stairwalt and Senicka Happy.
If anyone can lead Pershing County back into the playoffs, they can – or at least they’ll have fun trying.
Halverson encouraged the girls to support the football team’s 5K Challenge. They have until June 20 to complete the virtual competition.
Leah Holland brings a new face to the team.
She’ll help Halverson and Meissner with coaching duties. Holland graduated from PCHS in 2013 with four years of volleyball.
In 2012, Holland played outside hitter and middle blocker on Shauna Bakes’ championship team, claiming Lovelock’s first, and so far only, NIAA state title for volleyball.
Holland played softball at Shasta College for two years. She just completed her first year as a Kindergarten teacher at Lovelock Elementary School.
The exact shape the fall season will take is uncertain and subject to NIAA approval, but the coaches and players ooze excitement.
