Trojans beat second-place Mojave, hold onto top seed in 3A Sunset

The Lady Trojans made sure that there were no doubts who the top team in the Sunset League was by beating Mojave on Monday in five sets, 21-25, 25-15, 25-8, 15-25 and 15-8.

It took longer than usual as this was the first time the Trojans played five sets this season.

“Could we have come out any slower,” Trojans coach Jill Harris asked. “We started out slow. We really did.”

Harris was referring to the loss of the first set. The slow starts have hurt the Trojans (15-11 overall, 7-0 Sunset League) in tournament play during the year where they only play two sets and sometimes just one set.

Harris also commented on her girls playing the five sets.

“This is good for us to play five,” she said. “I am not disappointed in playing five sets. We need to learn to play five.”

The coach feels that Mojave was the only team to challenge her team during the regular season.

“Their setter was really good and I was impressed with her,” Harris said. “We played this team the first time and they got better, for it only took four sets last time.”

Harris said she had to remind her girls to play hard.

“I told them, ‘where do you want to play regionals ladies, our house or their house’,” Harris said. “’Where do you want to be’.”

The coach is referring to the first round of the playoffs. First-place teams have the home team advantage. With three regular season games left, the coach doesn’t want her team to lose any games to give that playoff advantage away.

The coach felt that senior outside hitter Alexis Trieb stepped up and kept the Trojans focused on the task of winning. Trieb had 23 kills for the night and Koral Hearn had nine kills.

“Alexis kept swinging even when she whaled them out of bounds,” the coach said. “She stepped up and played like she should have.”

Trieb said frustration kept her swinging.

“I wanted this win a lot,” Trieb said. “I was really frustrated and it just kicked in.”

In addition to an improved team, the Trojans had been playing short for the last two matches due to injuries and this has taken a toll. The team only had two players on the bench on Monday against Mojave. They played Pahranagat Valley (15-5, 4-0) in Alamo, a perennial Class 1A state champion and lost in 4 sets, 25-17, 16-25, 20-25, 23-25. They did that without senior Koral Hearn. And they played Mojave without junior Marietta Sobeck.

“Both girls had rolled ankles and Hearn played today,” Harris said. “Not sure when Sobeck will be back. So I might have to bring some JV players up.”

The Trojans played another non-conference game against Beatty on Tuesday, which was past deadline.

The Trojans travel to Desert Pines (1-17, 0-7) today at 6 p.m. On Oct. 25 they host their last home game at 6 p.m against Cheyenne (15-15, 5-2) and their last regular season game they travel to Western (2-8, 2-5) on Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. The girls also have the Longhorn Invitational this Friday and Saturday.

Contact sports editor Vern Hee at vhee@pvtimes.com