Arya Garland serves against CASR-Reno..
The Pershing County volleyball team thrilled the home crowd with wins against Coral Academy and Sierra Lutheran this past week.
Next, they traveled to Incline to play the Highlanders and lost the fast and furious game 2-3.
The Mustangs returned to their home court on Wednesday, Sept. 13, to play Yerington.
Results were not available at press time.
Mustangs win home game opener against Coral Academy
Pershing beat Coral in four sets (25-19, 25-18, 22-25, 25-14).
"With first game jitters we made some rookie mistakes, but we pulled together to secure the win," said coach Monica Halverson. "Coral has some decent hitters and blockers and our girls weren't ready for that. We had to adjust our defense to help our blockers."
The coach remarked on Coral's improvement. It took a team effort for the Mustangs to succeed.
Taylor Garland challenges the CASR blockers
Aaliyah Allen had an ATV accident just before the regionals last spring but was medically cleared to play in the opener.
"She busted her butt to get back on the court. Aaliyah is limited in what she can do but she has adapted and found a way to play. I'm so proud of her hard work and competitive mentality. She is a key component of the team and as she gets back in the swing of volleyball, our team will be that much better," said Halverson.
Kenya Vaughan had one kill. Yasmine McKinney had three aces and five kills. Raegan Burrows added three aces, seven kills, a block and eight digs. Taylor Garland totaled three aces, three kills and three digs.
Anna Happy had four aces, two kills and 11 assists. Arya Garland had an ace and 10 digs. Kyra Cerini had four aces and a kill. Mia Canchola added two aces.
Mustangs prevail over Sierra Lutheran
The Sierra Lutheran Falcons, from Carson City, are new to the 2A this year.
"We didn't know what to expect from them. They are a tall team and came in strong with a purpose," said Halverson. "Play was intense and we covered our court much better defensively than we did against Coral."
The Mustangs beat the Falcons in four sets (25-15, 18-25, 25-21, 25-11).
Yasmine McKinney had two aces, three kills, a block solo and six digs.
Raegan Burrows added nine kills and 17 digs. Taylor Garland had six aces, one kill and nine digs. Anna Happy had seven aces, 16 assists and four digs.
Arya Garland had an ace, two kills and 22 digs. KayLee Poffenroth had an ace. Kyra Cerini added three kills and a dig.
Mustangs lose
to Highlanders
From the first set, Incline came onto their court swinging.
"It was shell-shocking to us because we hadn't been challenged like that yet," said Halverson. "They have strong hitters that our blockers and defensive players weren't ready for."
"We got our groove back in the second set with awesome plays from Raegan Burrows and Taylor Garland. Arya Garland was dynamic in the back row digging the ball that was touched by the blockers. In the final set, we battled but lost 14-16 to a competitive team."
Raegan Burrows got 12 kills, a solo block, two aces and 36 digs.
Yasmine McKinney had four aces, six kills, a solo block and four digs. Taylor Garland added two aces, five kills, a solo block and 32 digs.
Anna Happy had four aces, 20 assists and 11 digs. Arya Garland had 25 digs. Kyra Cerini added one ace, two kills and two solo blocks. Mia Canchola totaled one kill, one assist and one dig.
The girls host North Tahoe on Saturday, Sept. 16. The Lakers are currently first in the 2A. JV plays at 11 a.m. Varsity plays at noon.