Las Vegas rallies past Valley, clinches share of Northeast League boys volleyball title

Las Vegas High’s boys volleyball team did something Thursday it hadn’t done in Northeast League play: lose a game.

Fortunately for the Wildcats, they still won the match.

Jimichael Baker and Tyler Crawford had 12 kills apiece, and the Wildcats rallied from a two-point loss in the second game to top visiting Valley 25-16, 23-25, 25-17, 25-23 and clinch at least a share of the Northeast League title.

“Before that third game, I told them we should never have lost the second set to them,” said senior setter Luke Hansen, who had 33 assists, seven kills, 11 digs and four aces. “We just kind of stopped playing, so I told them to pick up the defense, don’t let anything hit the ground, and try to find a killer instinct — play at the top level all the time.”

Crawford had four kills as the Wildcats (14-1, 12-0 Northeast) stormed through the first game, but Lawrence Palma brought back the Vikings (10-5, 7-5) in the second.

Palma, who finished with 14 kills and four aces, helped his team score the final six points of the second game to eke out the win. Las Vegas appeared in control, rattlling off an 11-3 run to take a 19-13 advantage before the lead slipped away.

The Wildcats also moved each player in the serve rotation and used a different lineup after the first game, which led to several disorganized moments.

“I was hoping they’d work it out themselves, and they didn’t,” Las Vegas coach Sue Thurman said. “But Valley runs a fast offense, and they were able to be successful.

“I had complimented them on that first game how well they worked together and played together. So when we went back to the first lineup (in the third game), they were a lot more comfortable.”

Palma had four straight kills in the third game to help the Vikings to a 9-9 tie, but Baker and Crawford led Las Vegas on an 8-2 run that gave them a 17-11 lead and control of the game.

“Jimichael had a clutch game tonight — he was on fire,” Hansen said. “I’ve been playing with most of these guys since I was a freshman, so I know that they have that talent; they’re good.”

Baker had three kills and a block in the third game and then laid down the kill that set up Levi Mackelprang’s match-winner in the fourth.

“He’s very dynamic at the net, and he’s quite unpredictable,” Thurman said of Baker. “His arm is fast, and defenses get thrown off because they aren’t sure which angle he plans on swinging.”

Mackelprang finished with 16 digs and three kills, and Garrett Jones added 12 digs and four kills for the Wildcats.

Matt Ballaro and Chris Hicks each had eight kills for Valley. Peter Nunes had 32 assists and Mauricio Molina 10 digs for the Vikings.