4A Sunset: Bishop Gorman, Shadow Ridge to meet in region title match

Finally, the ball started slapping off the floor with regularity for Bishop Gorman’s girls volleyball team.

It took until the fourth set, but it did happen. And the result was a 26-24, 29-27, 23-25, 25-11 victory over Palo Verde in a Class 4A Sunset Region semifinal at Durango on Thursday.

“Our consistency still isn’t where I’d like it to be ,” Gaels coach Ed Van Meetren said.

Still, Gorman (28-10) managed to do enough to put itself in position when it all came together. Though the Gaels trailed by deficits of five points twice and even 22-16 hole in the first set, they used a strong service run by Sarah Lychok to race back and forge a 24-23 lead.

Despite the Panthers (22-15) tying it on the next play, Gorman closed out the game with the final two points. Reese Rossnagel put down one of her 11 kills, and Tommi Stockham completed the comeback with a thundering kill off the left corner.

“Tommi is electric,” Van Meetren said. “Our outsides can really hit the ball. Everybody has been trying to play us by taking away that outside.”

Rossnagel and Alex Washington were the main recipients in Game 2, repeatedly getting free cracks to hit the ball straight down for kills in another hard-fought win, this time 29-27.

“We just kind of started seeing the open spots in the court,” Rossnagel said. “Then the middle started staying with me.”

Which in turn opened the outside back up. But the Panthers didn’t go away. Gorman got within three points of closing out the match in Game 3, but Palo Verde responded with quick points to win the game, 25-23.

The Panthers, though, were unable to maintain the momentum.

“We just ran out of gas,” Palo Verde coach Phil Clarke said. “I don’t think too many people outside of us expected that much. But Gorman, they’re the defending champs for a reason.”

One of those reasons is the sheer number of ways the Gaels can attack.

On Thurday, Stockham had a match-high 21 kills and added nine digs. Kylie Gibson added 14 kills, and Sarah Lychok added two aces and 20 digs out of the back row.

Carli Tanner and Aaliah Largusa each had 12 kills to pace Palo Verde (22-15).

The Gaels will play Shadow Ridge (28-10) — one of only two Sunset League teams to force them to five sets this season — in the region final at 5 p.m. Friday.

Shadow Ridge 3, Durango 1 — At Durango, Whittnee Nihipali had 19 kills and 27 digs, and Alysha Smith added 28 assists, 13 digs and seven kills as the Mustangs topped the Trailblazers in the other semifinal, 25-18, 23-25, 25-17, 25-19.

Shadow Ridge got a service run of eight consecutive points in Game 4 from Madyson Lousignont to put the match away. Prior to Lousignont’s run, Durango had erased an early 11-5 deficit to take a 15-14 lead. After the run, the Mustangs led it 22-15.

Naomi Harris had 12 kills to pace the Trailblazers (24-12).