Beatty’s Cinderella season ends with loss to Smith Valley

The Beatty Volleyball team ended its Cinderella season at Wooster High School in Reno last Saturday with a loss to Smith Valley. The Hornets (11-5 overall) lost to the Bulldogs (29-7) in three games, 25-15, 25-16 and 25-11.

Hornets Coach Dale Lerbakken said the team had a fantastic year.

“It was a very exciting season,” Lerbakken said. “Even though we didn’t do well at state we learned a whole lot for next year. We know we have to take it to the next level and the girls are excited to do so. We are such a young team, and really will be able to intensify to a better game.”

Three seniors spoke about going to state just before leaving for Reno and reflected on the year.

Rocio Cimental said it has been a great four years.

“I have learned so much and have improved in everything I have done,” she said. “I play defense for the team. I think the big difference this year is the year was a little tougher. We lost a lot of senior players last year. There were only three seniors on the whole team. Our younger people are really good so we should have a good team for quite awhile.”

She also said the coach was a little bit harder on them this year.

Cimental had no problem coming up with her fondest memory of the year.

“It will probably be the fact that we made it to state and the fact that we beat Tonopah. That was pretty great because they are rivals,” she said.

Eaire Davis said the most improved part of the team this year was the fact the team actually played as a team.

“Last year we didn’t play as a team, we played individually,” she said.

Davis said she improved her relationships with her teammates.

“I would get angry real fast because people wouldn’t do what they are supposed to and now we all cooperate better,” Davis said.

Davis agreed with Cimental that going to state will be a great memory, but her most memorable memory of the season was the Sandy Valley play-off game.

“It was hard to play Sandy Valley at their home because it seemed like the refs favored them a bit and so when we beat them at Pahranagat Valley it was the best thing ever,” she said.

Sinai Hernandez agrees with the her fellow seniors and said the most improved part of this team is their cooperation.

“In the beginning we would all get frustrated,” Hernandez said. “The team would mess up in practice and that would really affect them. Over the course of the season the team began to realize that it’s OK to mess up and it’s just practice and you move on. As a senior I would tell the girls to check their attitude because we had to work as a team. I think the game the game that will stick out most with me is beating Tonopah. That was fun.”

Division IV

The Bulldogs went on to play Pahranagat Valley in the state title game and lost to the Panthers (24-8) in four games, 13-25, 25-11, 25-22 and 25-21.