Nevada Preps Boys Athlete of the Week: Palo Verde’s Dylan Ho
Palo Verde boys volleyball coach Phil Clarke called Dylan Ho “Mr. Reliable” after the Panthers won the Class 5A state title.
The junior outside hitter lived up to the moniker while helping the Panthers win the championship match May 14 with a sweep over Coronado.
Ho had 13 kills and 11 digs in Palo Verde’s victory at Sunrise Mountain.
He was named Nevada Preps Boys Athlete of the Week for his efforts.
“It feels great,” Ho said after the win. “I couldn’t have done it without my team. Honestly, I’m going to miss all my seniors and everything, but it was a great experience to see.”
Palo Verde lost the 2023 state title match in five sets to Shadow Ridge. Ho said the loss motivated him and his teammates to finish the job this year.
“It felt like a great redemption,” Ho said. “It’s like we wanted (the state title) even more because of last year and how we lost, but we took care of business (this year).”
Ho helped Palo Verde take control at the end of the first set by attacking the net with several kills.
“(Ho) is one of the guys they’ll all look to. He’s one of our captains,” Clarke said. “You know what you’re going to get with Dylan. He stepped up big time.”
Coronado made it tough for Palo Verde in the second and third sets, but the Panthers responded every time Coronado tried to rally to win the title.
“When we got momentum, we felt like we got to them,” Ho said. “We kept playing as a better team. As we got momentum, we kept making better plays.”
The Palo Verde student section rushed onto the floor in celebration after the final point.
“The energy was great. It was tremendous,” Ho said. “Everyone was playing great and picking each other up and we played a great game.”
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