Volleyball squad struggles in opening tournament
A game away from making the 3A state tournament a season ago, Boulder City High School girls volleyball has their eyes set on being better in all aspects of the game this season.
“We came really close last season,” head coach Chad Robinson said. “Last year was really rough, we dealt with injuries, didn’t always play our best. We’re hopeful to overcome all of that this year and play our best volleyball of this season at the end when it matters most.”
Optimistic about advancing even further than where they finished last season, the Eagles bring back a steady core of returners, mixed with an influx of talented underclassmen.
“This year’s roster is really deep,” Robinson said. “We have girls who come back with a lot of experience and we’re really excited about our younger core. We have a lot of different players who can contribute at key spots.”
Putting their potential on full display to start the season, the Eagles opened up play with a 1-6 record in the highly competitive Las Vegas invitational, featuring a variety of 5A and 4A opponents.
“Obviously our record and tournament play doesn’t scream success,” Robinson said. “But when you look at the outcome of each game and who we played, I’m very proud of the girls for the effort they gave. We hung around with a lot of really good teams and we can take away a lot of positives from this past weekend.”
Picking up a 2-0 victory over 4A Valley, the Eagles hung tough with 4A Desert Oasis and Skypointe in 2-1 losses.
Ivy Dineen led the way with 22 kills, eight digs and six serving aces on offense, while Bella Battistone added 20 kills and three blocks.
Sierra Ripplinger added 14 kills, nine digs, five aces, while Laylani Gubler added 13 kills, 15 digs, six aces and two blocks.
Playing key roles on defense, Hayden Nordstrom racked up a team-high 52 digs, while Drew Schaper added 34.
Making an impact at the net, freshman Kenley Poff made seven blocks, while returning sophomore Juliette Kelso made three blocks.
Looking to build momentum, the Eagles will travel to Pahrump Valley on Monday, followed by a home game against Moapa Valley on Wednesday.
