ROUNDUP: Host Lake Mead girls win tournament
Amanda Wellman and Ashley Newton made sure Lake Mead Christian Academy will enjoy this weekend much more than the last one.
The Eagles cruised through their home volleyball tournament without dropping a game, finishing off an impressive run with a 25-21, 25-19 victory Saturday over Pahrump Valley.
Lake Mead made a strong charge at last weekend’s Pahrump tournament, only to drop the championship match to Calvary Chapel. Wellman said that wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to the Eagles early in the season.
“It was good for us last week to lose,” Wellman said. “Being defending state champions from last year, we got a little more cocky and confident. That was kind of a wake-up call that we’re not invincible.”
Wellman garnered tournament MVP honors, finishing with six kills, seven digs and an ace. After hammering a few kills to extend the Eagles’ lead in the second game, Wellman closed the match with a whispering jump-set over the net that found the floor.
The match turned with the teams tied at 19 in the first game. Lake Mead used a block from Jocelyn Cox, two aces from Annabelle Liston and a final kill from Newton to win the opener.
Eagles coach Diana Lewis liked her team’s resilience as they resisted a few charges from the Trojans, playing strong team defense and communicating well.
“The whole day today, we were working on the glue for the team,” Lewis said.
Newton tallied 13 kills, six digs, three aces and a block for Lake Mead, and Jocelyn Cox totaled 23 assists. Both Eagles earned all-tournament honors.
Alyson Kunzi delivered five kills for the Trojans. Ashley Lindgren and Taylor Ball of Pahrump Valley made the all-tournament team.
Also named to the all-tournament team were Calvary Chapel's Brettani Davis, Boulder City's Lexi Jorgensen, Henderson International's Fabi Pachas, and Lund's Ale Vega.
In other matches in the tournament:
Lake Mead 2, Boulder City 0 — Wellman had five kills, five digs and three aces as Lake Mead posted a 25-14, 25-21 semifinal win over Boulder City.
Cox added 15 assists, three aces and three kills, and Newton had eight kills for Lake Mead.
Pahrump Valley 2, Calvary Chapel 0 — Pahrump advanced to the title match with a 25-15, 25-19 win over the Lions.
Davis had 16 digs for Calvary Chapel. Laura Perri added eight assists and six digs, and Eboni Brown had seven digs.
Lake Mead 2, Beatty 0 — Emma Khachikian served 10 aces to help the Eagles blitz Beatty, 25-2, 25-20.
Newton added 12 kills and Cox had 17 assists for Lake Mead.
Calvary Chapel 2, Henderson International 0 — Perri dished out 12 assists and had six aces to lift the Lions to a 25-17, 25-13 win over the Wolverines.
Davis added 11 digs and Treasure Brown 10 for Calvary Chapel. Eboni Brown had six digs and five kills for the Lions.
Pahrump Valley 2, Agassi Prep 0 — Pahrump shot down the Stars, 25-14, 25-8.
Boulder City 2, Lund 0 — Boulder City was a 25-5, 25-23 winner over the Mustangs.
Laughlin 2, Indian Springs 0 — Laughlin earned a 25-17, 25-16 victory against the Thunderbirds.
Trinity 2, Lake Mead JV 1 — Trinity rallied for a 15-25, 25-22, 15-5 win over Lake Mead’s junior varsity.
Laughlin 2, Trinity 0 — Laughlin captured the Silver Bracket with a 25-16, 25-12 win over Trinity.
Gonzales named to all-tournament team
Mountain View senior setter Kristyn Gonzales was named to the all-tournament team at the Lake Havasu (Ariz.) Tournament. The tournament featured single-game matches, played to 21.
