Volleyball falls short for state

Boulder City High School boys volleyball’s quest for a fifth consecutive 3A state championship was denied on May 13 after falling to rival Virgin Valley 3-2 in the state championship match.

“Give credit to Virgin Valley, they gave us their all,” head coach Rachelle Huxford said. “We had moments, but overall didn’t play very well offensively.”

A back-and-forth battle from the very beginning, the Eagles battled back after dropping the first set to the Bulldogs to win sets two and four, before closing the match out with a 15-7 fifth-set defeat.

Overall in the 18-25, 25-15, 23-25, 25-18, 7-15 matchup, David Zwahlen led the way with 14 kills, 21 digs and three blocks, while Preston Van Beveren added 10 kills, nine digs and five blocks.

“Defensively we played great, but offensively at times we struggled to get things going,” Huxford said. “We had a hard time finding consistency.”

Leaving it all out in the court, Sam O’Shaughnessy added nine kills, eight digs and four blocks, while Chandler Shamo added 14 digs, eight kills and two blocks.

A big defensive presence, Levi Randall made 10 blocks, while Carson Alder added five blocks.

Easton Welbourne (19 assists) and Garrett Adams (15 assists) shared the setting duties.

Finishing their season with a 30-9 record, the Eagles, who graduate a large portion of their roster, will go back to the drawing board, looking to build their next dynasty.

“It’s hard to repeat as champions,” Huxford said. “We were able to do it four years in a row and every game you come into the match with a target on your back. I think starting off next year without that pressure will be good for them and just allow them to go out there and play freely.”