Bishop Gorman girls volleyball ready to defend 5A state title

The last time Bishop Gorman’s girls volleyball team played in a state semifinal in Northern Nevada, the Gaels lost in five sets to Reno High in 2022 and missed out on a chance to defend their title from the previous year.

The Gaels are looking to make sure that doesn’t happen again this season.

Gorman, the Southern Region champion and No. 1 seed, is the heavy favorite to defend its state title. The Class 5A girls volleyball state tournament begins Friday night at Spanish Springs High School in Sparks.

The Gaels face Reno, the No. 2 seed from the North, in a state semifinal at 7 p.m. Coronado, the South’s No. 2 seed, plays Northern champion Bishop Manogue at 5 p.m. in the other semifinal. The state championship match is 10 a.m. Saturday.

“I would be less than honest if I said that winning another state championship wasn’t primary in their minds,” Gorman coach Gregg Nunley said. “One of the things I’ve noticed is that we are concerned about playing our game, regardless of who we end up playing up there.”

Gorman (27-8) has rolled through Southern Nevada opponents. The Gaels haven’t dropped a set against a local team. Nunley said he’s confident the competition his team faced in league play and against out-of-state opponents will have it ready for Friday.

“We’ve seen film of the (Northern) teams and we have plans in place,” Nunley said. “It’s not too dissimilar from other teams we’ve played this season. We’re relying upon our experience in the matches that we’ve played to get us through who we will play.”

One of the out-of-state teams Gorman played was Mater Dei (California), currently ranked No. 2 in the country by MaxPreps. The Gaels lost in five sets to the Monarchs on Sept. 19. Nunley said the way his team used its defense to set up its offense stood out to him in that match.

He saw that on display again when Gorman swept Coronado (29-5) in three sets to win the Southern Region title on Nov. 2.

“The kids did that with their blocking at the net and serving,” Nunley said. “We played some really good defense.”

Nunley credited junior setter Trinity Thompson’s “volleyball IQ” for getting Gorman organized. He also praised senior outside hitter Brooklynn Williams’ “versatility” for allowing him to throw different lineups at teams.

Gorman’s opponents will have to slow down junior outside hitter Ayanna Watson. A Pitt commit, Watson leads the state with 661 kills and is second with a .544 hitting percentage.

“(Watson) certainly gives a lot of confidence to the rest of the team to sometimes even play beyond what they’re used to playing,” Nunley said. “I had a coach tell me a long time ago that great players make the players around them better, and Ayanna is one of those. It’s great to have somebody like her on your team.”

In 4A, the state semifinals are Friday at Sunrise Mountain. Durango appears primed to repeat as 4A champions. The Trailblazers have not dropped a set against 4A opponents.

Durango, the Lake League champion and No. 1 seed, plays Rancho, the No. 1 seed in the Desert League, at 6:20 p.m. in a state semifinal. Legacy, the Lake League’s No. 2 seed, faces Doral Academy, the Lake League’s No. 3 seed, in the other semifinal. The state title match is at 2 p.m. Saturday.

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