Girls volleyball preview: Gorman has ‘unfinished business’

Bishop Gorman girls volleyball coach Gregg Nunley has only had a few weeks with his players after they wrapped up a busy club season in late July.

In the team’s goal-setting meeting last week, Nunley said he was pleased to see his team was “determined and headed in the same direction” toward the same goal.

“They feel like they’ve got some unfinished business from last year,” Nunley said. “They want to get back to putting another banner on the wall and make this a year to remember.”

The girls volleyball season officially began Thursday. Most of the teams in Southern Nevada begin the new season next week with league games and various tournaments.

Gorman returns a strong core from last year’s team that was swept in three sets by eventual Class 5A state champion Coronado in the Southern Region tournament and lost a five-set thriller to Reno High in the state semifinals.

Coronado graduated several key members from last year’s team, including Gatorade Nevada girls volleyball player of the year Angelina Sayles. The Cougars will have a new coach, former UNLV player and assistant coach Melody Nua.

Nua was hired late in the summer and has only spent time with the team since school started Monday, but she knows some of her players from the club scene. Nua, a four-year letter-winner at UNLV, said she believes her players in new roles can handle what’s being asked of them.

“We have a pretty solid group,” Nua said. “The biggest thing they are trying to fill is just that senior leadership. We had a lot of senior leaders last year. … It’s time for the new group of seniors to step in.”

Leading the group of Gorman returners is senior Leilia Toailoa, who is committed to play college volleyball at Alabama. Nunley said sophomore Ayanna Watson and senior Tatum Thompson will also be expected to lead the Gaels.

Thompson “is arguably the best player on the team with how she keeps us in plays and keeps us in points and her fight and her determination,” Nunley said. “We’ve got some experience coming back, and we’re looking to make things happen this year.”

Nua said she trusts the Cougars’ senior setters, Hannah Pemberton and Sydney Colgate. Along with graduating eight seniors, the Cougars will be without senior Abigail Paulson, who is out with an injury. Nua said Paulson has helped get the group to come together.

“We have kids that can score,” Nua said. “So hopefully we put them in better situations by controlling the ball better for them.”

Nua said Arbor View, which moves up to 5A after winning the 4A state title last season, “is going to be pretty tough.” Nunley and Nua expect Faith Lutheran, with a strong senior group led by Bianca Richardson, to battle at the top of the league.

In her first season, Nua said she wants a “stress-free season,” and her main goal for the Cougars is to “elevate” them to put them in a position where they can get back to the state tournament.

“I don’t want to put those expectations on them,” Nua said. “I just want them to do the best, and hopefully I can give them enough resources and enough knowledge to get them back to the state finals.”

Nunley said last year was evident that so much has to go right to win a state title. He said the Gaels are focused on getting better every minute they’re on the floor.

“We have to make sure we hold each other accountable so that every ball touch counts and every ball touch makes us better players and a better team,” Nunley said.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.