STATE TOURNEY: Well-prepared Gators pursue Class 4A crown

It took only half a day after her team had clinched the Sunrise Region title before Green Valley girls volleyball coach Erin Hill began preparing for the next challenge.

The morning after the Gators secured a Class 4A state berth by winning last week’s Sunrise tournament, Hill boarded a plane for Reno to scout the Northern Region final between Bishop Manogue and Douglas.

“You have to be prepared,” Green Valley’s 20-year veteran coach said. “Preparation is vital.”

The Gators (27-9) hope it pays off Friday, when they open against state tourney host and North runner-up Manogue at 6:20 p.m. Sunset champion Bishop Gorman (31-8) follows against North champ Douglas at 8.

After a season of telling her players not to look ahead, Hill, coach of last season’s state runner-up, is prepared to “live in the present” at the state tournament.

“There are five aspects of being a clutch player, and one of them is that you live in the moment,” Hill said. “You don’t look ahead, don’t look behind — you play in the moment. With everything you do, not just athletics. You learn from the past, but you don’t live in the past. We certainly didn’t want to look ahead.

“You don’t write your victory speech before it happens. You have to play the game, and you have to play to win.”

Green Valley hopes to deliver that victory speech behind the potent attack of senior outside hitter Emma Johnson (three kills per set) and freshman Nikki Drost (3.3 kills per set). But it knows it can’t take any match for granted.

“We’re expecting to see some good volleyball up there,” said sophomore setter Jenna Swaffer, who averages 8.2 assists per set.

“We’ve just got to push, do our best up there. We deserve it so much; we’ve worked way harder than anyone. We can get that state title, for sure.”

Gorman, too, is confident entering the tournament.

The Gaels are led by seniors Liz Manthei (2.3 kills and 3.5 assists per set), outside hitter Kylie Shaw (2.7 kills per set) and libero Brooke McKenna (five digs per set).

“It’s going to be a battle,” Gorman coach Ed Van Meetren said. “There should be good matches all weekend long up there.”

In Class 3A at Galena, Boulder City (24-11) is the lone Southern Nevada representative and plays Dayton (19-5) in a semifinal match.

In Class 2A at Manogue, Southern League and defending state champion The Meadows (31-3) takes on Whittell in one semifinal, and Lake Mead (24-13) faces Yerington (35-1) in the other.

In Class 1A at Galena, defending state champ Pahranagat Valley (22-7) meets McDermitt (21-6) in a semifinal, and Tonopah (31-8) faces Coleville (23-2) in the other semifinal.

All four state championship matches will be Saturday at Manogue.