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Round Mountain, Beatty volleyball seasons end at 1A state tournament

A Round Mountain player attacks against Coleville during the Class 1A state quarterfinals at Si ...
A Round Mountain player attacks against Coleville during the Class 1A state quarterfinals at Sierra Vista High School. The Knights won the opening set before Coleville rallied for a four-set victory. (Linda Evans/PhotoDiva Images)
A Round Mountain hitter sends the ball toward the Coleville defense during the Knights’ Class ...
A Round Mountain hitter sends the ball toward the Coleville defense during the Knights’ Class 1A state quarterfinal match at Sierra Vista High School. Round Mountain’s season ended with a 3-1 loss. (Linda Evans/PhotoDiva Images)
A Round Mountain player attacks at the net against Coleville during Thursday’s Class 1A state ...
A Round Mountain player attacks at the net against Coleville during Thursday’s Class 1A state quarterfinal. The Knights took the first set 25-21 before falling in four sets. (Linda Evans/PhotoDiva Images)
Beatty’s Delaily Gutierrez (1) attacks at the net as teammate Bella Villanueva (3) follows th ...
Beatty’s Delaily Gutierrez (1) attacks at the net as teammate Bella Villanueva (3) follows the play during the Hornets’ Class 1A state quarterfinal against Smith Valley at Sierra Vista High School. (Linda Evans/PhotoDiva Images)
Beatty players dive for a ball during the Hornets’ Class 1A state quarterfinal against Smith ...
Beatty players dive for a ball during the Hornets’ Class 1A state quarterfinal against Smith Valley at Sierra Vista High School. Beatty finished its season 17-7 after reaching the state tournament as the 1A Central runner-up. (Linda Evans/PhotoDiva Images)
A Beatty player receives the ball during the Hornets’ Class 1A state quarterfinal against Smi ...
A Beatty player receives the ball during the Hornets’ Class 1A state quarterfinal against Smith Valley at Sierra Vista High School. The Hornets’ season ended with a three-set loss to the eventual state champions. (Linda Evans/PhotoDiva Images)
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/ Pahrump Valley Times
November 13, 2026 - 4:45 am
 

Round Mountain and Beatty carried the 1A Central League into the state volleyball tournament last week, but neither survived Thursday’s quarterfinal round at Sierra Vista High School in Las Vegas.

Round Mountain came the closest to extending its season, taking the opening set from Coleville before the Wolves responded with three straight wins for a 3-1 victory.

The Knights opened with a 25-21 win before Coleville turned the match around, winning 25-16, 25-15 and 25-20.

Round Mountain finished the season 15-11 after winning its fourth consecutive Central regional championship a week earlier.

That run of regional titles is worth keeping in perspective. For a school the size of Round Mountain, many of the same athletes compete together throughout the year in volleyball, basketball and softball. Seniors Kaitlynn Nunley and Layla Faga have been part of that group throughout high school.

Faga led Round Mountain this season in kills and blocks, while Nunley led the Knights in service aces.

Round Mountain had earned the Central’s No. 1 state seed by sweeping both Tonopah and Beatty during the regional tournament.

Beatty’s stay at state was shorter.

The Hornets ran into eventual state champion Smith Valley in the quarterfinals and were swept 25-9, 25-8 and 25-4.

That ended Beatty’s season at 17-7.

The final match does not erase what was a significant season for a program that had received little attention in recent years.

Beatty won eight consecutive matches before losing to Round Mountain in the regional championship and earned its state berth with a straight-set semifinal victory over Indian Springs.

Coach Crystal Femat had pointed throughout the season to the way her players worked together.

“What I feel the team has done exceptionally well is playing together as a team,” Femat said before regionals. “They’re constantly pushing each other to be better and actually care about winning.”

And there is a reason the season may matter beyond this year.

Half of Beatty’s roster is made up of sophomores. Barring the normal high school realities of players moving away, changing interests or choosing other activities, that gives the Hornets a young core that could still be playing together two years from now.

Tonopah did not advance to state.

The Muckers entered the Central regional tournament as the No. 3 seed and were swept by Round Mountain in the semifinal, ending their season at 4-14.

Smith Valley went on to win the Class 1A state championship, sweeping Lund in the semifinal before beating Coleville 25-18, 25-19 and 26-24 in the championship match Saturday.

For Round Mountain and Beatty, the state tournament ended sooner than either wanted.

But both got there.

And for Beatty in particular, with so much of the roster still young, this trip may prove to be less of an ending than a first look at what comes next.

Contact Bill Evans at wevans@pvtimes.com.

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