Bishop Gorman rolls to 2nd volleyball title in 3 years
RENO — After each huddle during the Class 4A state championship match, Bishop Gorman broke the huddle with the same cheer it’s used all season, one that has become the team motto during a dominant season in which the Gaels never lost a set to a Nevada team.
“Earn it.”
On Saturday, as they have all season, the Gaels did, rolling to a 25-22, 25-13, 25-16 victory over Reno at Bishop Manogue to win their second state championship in three years.
“This didn’t just happen,” Gorman coach Gregg Nunley said. “It’s not just going to come to us because we have good athletes.”
The Gaels (39-4) have the motto printed on the chalkboard in their locker room and on their team shirts. Nunley said the message was meant to help them understand that just because they had been to the state final the past two years and won the championship in 2016, there were no guarantees they would do it again.
“It’s not always the team with the best athletes that wins; it’s the team that earns it,” Nunley said.
With such depth of talent that they don’t drop off even when their top hitters rotate to the back row, the Gaels were relentless on the attack against Reno (22-4).
Tommi Stockham led the team with 11 kills and served three aces, and Anjelina Starck had 10 kills and 24 assists. Caroline Edgeworth added 15 assists, and Natalie Mavroidis led the team with 12 digs.
Junior Alex Washington was a freshman on Gorman’s state championship team in 2016, but with a broken pinkie finger, she had to watch a live stream of the title match. She was a part of the team that lost in last year’s state final.
“The moment we lost, I knew we had to come this year and get the ‘W,’ ” Washington said. “That’s when we set the goal.”
Stockham said this championship means more to her than the team’s first.
“It’s definitely a lot better this year because we all love each other,” Stockham said. “It’s 20 times more special.”
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Saturday's highlights
■ Ava Wright had 40 assists, 15 digs, three aces and four blocks as Boulder City defeated Truckee 25-16, 25-18, 21-25, 25-18 for the Class 3A state title.
■ The Meadows' Dan Mason recorded 24 kills, 17 digs, five aces and five blocks in a 21-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-17 win over Yerington in the Class 2A state title match.
■ Pahranagat Valley defeated Virginia City 22-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-13 for the Class 1A state championship.
