The sweet victory over Spring Valley last week meant the Trojans were working even harder to beat Mojave on Tuesday night (the match was past deadline).
The win made the Mojave game even more important, according to Trojans coach Jill Harris.
“This is a big match for us,” Harris said. “Winning this game would really help us on our road to the playoffs. The team handled the first hurdle of beating Spring Valley last week. They definitely have the ability to step it up tonight.”
The coach said for the win the team needed to execute their attacking game and serve tough.
“Mojave is a scrappy, defensive, hustling team,” the coach said. “Everyone on the team needs to play all their positions aggressively and confidently. We had a good practice and I feel that the team is ready for this tough match.”
Harris was excited about her team’s win against the Grizzlies (6-7, 5-4). The Trojans had lost to Spring Valley in a close match at home.
“We were ready tonight for number 11 (Jessica Rafay), who swings like nobody’s business,” she said. “We needed this win. Mojave will be a big game. Lauren Ashford played a great game. She was directing traffic from the back and we played well as a team, communicating well.”
According to the coach, Smith led in hits and Ashford in digs. The girls outscored their opponent 103-101.
Pahrump (10-13, 4-5) is playing for a playoff spot and all season long Harris has been waiting for the girls to believe in their abilities. The Spring Valley game was big and the Mojave game was bigger.
The Trojans are on the road against Western (5-7, 3-6) on Friday.
Trojans stats: Lauren Koenig 7 kills, Jill Smith 29 assists, Lauren Ashford 26 digs, Koral Hearn 7 kills, 3 blocks and Samantha Padilla 4 assists.
Contact sports editor Vern Hee at vhee@pvtimes.com. Follow @vernheepvt on Twitter