HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Angelica Villa of Pahrump Valley leaps for the volleyball in Pahrump Valley's 25-22, 25-19 losses to Las Vegas Shadow Ridge, in the finale of the Pahrump Valley Invitational tournament Saturday, at the Ninth Grade Academy. HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Michelle Dannenberger, right, spikes the volleyball in Pahrump Valley's title match against Las Vegas Shadow Ridge in the Ninth Grade Academy gym Saturday. The Lady Trojans were 7-2 in all matches in the two-day tournament. Advertisement

Pahrump Valley's volleyball team defeated defending champion Pahranagat Valley Alamo twice to get to the finals of its own invitational tournament Saturday, but in the finals, Class 4-A Las Vegas Shadow Ridge held off the 3-A Lady Trojans to claim the Gold Division title.

In the Maroon Division, Class A South Division member Las Vegas Mountain View Christian held off Central 1-A rival Tonopah to claim the championship. The 12-team, two-day volleyball marathon was played in the high school and Ninth Grade Academy gyms.

In the Gold playoffs, contested in the Academy gym, coach Richard Barker's team defeated Alamo, the Nevada Class A state defending champion, 25-19, 26-24 in the first round, but lost to Class 4-A Shadow Ridge 15-25, 25-23, 14-16 in the winners' bracket finals. Shadow Ridge had advanced to the finals by beating the 2005 Maroon Division champion, Lake Mead Christian Academy.

In the consolation round, Alamo ousted Lake Mead, but the Panthers were unable to handle Pahrump Valley again and were eliminated, 25-13, 25-9.

In the championship match, Shadow Ridge's Lady Mustangs, led by a corps of four-year senior starters, prevailed 25-22, 25-19 against Pahrump Valley.

"Shadow Ridge had an excellent coach (Melonie Poster); the team executed quite well and their technical expertise was apparent," said Barker. "Right from the start, I thought Shadow Ridge would be the team to beat; they looked really good."

Senior middle hitter/blocker Michelle Dannenberger, sliding effectively along the net, powered Pahrump Valley to seven victories in nine matches. "Michelle carried us with her play at the net. Kristi (Daffer) has a shoulder problem and could hit only with her left arm. Angelica Villa was effective as our setter and the libero, Brittney Lindgren, played much better.

"Plus, we moved up a sophomore setter, Arlette Scott, and she was able to come up with some big play; she saved the day for us several times," said Barker.

The Maroon playoffs were played on the main high school court and required 14 matches to complete.

In the first round, Tonopah defeated 4-A Las Vegas Arbor View; Mountain View stopped 4-A Las Vegas Vo-Tech; 1-A Las Vegas Calvary Chapel beat division rival Trinity Christian, and 2-A Las Vegas The Meadows beat Beatty (see related story Page B2).

In the elimination matches, Vo-Tech beat Arbor View and Beatty stopped Trinity, while in the winners' bracket semifinals, Tonopah lost to Mountain View and Calvary Chapel downed The Meadows.

Mountain View beat Calvary Chapel, then waited to see which team survived the next two elimination rounds.

Tonopah defeated The Meadows, Vo-Tech and Calvary Chapel in back-to-back-to-back matches to earn a finals' berth, where coach Judy Boni's weary Lady Muckers lost to Mountain View.

In pool matches Friday, Pahrump Valley defeated Lake Mead Christian Academy 25-13, 25-14; Mountain View Christian 25-15, 25-16; Trinity, 25-11, 25-7; Tonopah 25-15, 25-16 and The Meadows 25-7, 25-22.

Tonopah surprised Mountain View 25-13, 23-25, 15-13, in its first match. The Muckers downed The Meadows 25-14, 19-25, 16-14; Trinity, 25-11, 25-8 and lost 25-18, 22-25, 15-13 to Lake Mead, as well as Pahrump Valley.

Pahrump Valley, 11-6 in two tournaments, travels to Lake Mead Christian Academy Friday and is at home against Alamo Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. The Trojans launch Southern Nevada Class 3-A League double round-robin play Sept. 26 at home against defending league and regional champion Las Vegas Faith Lutheran.

Boni was excited about the play of the Tonopah girls.

"We're playing with a lot of heart," Boni, in her second season with the Lady Muckers, said during a break in the action. "There are still a lot of things they can improve on. We missed a lot of the serve in the first match (against Lake Mead Christian Academy) and that's why the scores were close (25-19, 23-25, 15-13)."