Pahrump Valley boys volleyball battles hard in three-set loss at Boulder City

Pahrump Valley’s boys volleyball team showed enough fight in Boulder City to hint at where this season can still go, even in a 3-0 loss that tightened as the night went on.

The Trojans fell 25-19, 25-13 and 25-12 on Wednesday, April 15, against a Boulder City team that entered the match having won 10 of its previous 13 and left with a 15-9 record. Pahrump Valley dropped to 3-11, but the match offered a clearer picture of a young program trying to build itself through pressure points rather than simply absorb another road defeat.

Andy Sanchez gave Pahrump Valley an early lift in the opening set with a tip that tied the score. Elijah Thompson followed at the net with a spike, part of a stretch in which the Trojans stayed within reach and forced Boulder City to work for points. Sanchez also contributed from the back row and later served an ace that helped keep Pahrump close, while Thompson’s hustle stood out on a play in which he saved a ball with his foot to extend a rally and energize the bench.

That kind of effort mattered because Boulder City still controlled the match. The Eagles stayed ahead in the first set and widened the margin in the second, but Pahrump Valley kept competing through long rallies and defensive pressure. James Wilson added a strong block attempt in the second set, and the Trojans took advantage of Boulder City service errors while Sanchez delivered another ace.

Even in the third set, when the score tilted further toward Boulder City, Pahrump Valley kept extending points. Sanchez drove several spikes, Thompson put down another key kill, and the Trojans showed solid blocking on defense. The final set ended 25-12, but the late work on the floor reflected a group unwilling to fold against a stronger opponent.

The result fits into a broader season-building phase for Amber Lugo’s program at Pahrump Valley High School. Lugo, listed as the boys volleyball coach on the school’s athletics page, took over the program in 2025 with a focus on growth and unity. That approach showed again in Boulder City, where the scoreline mattered less than the experience of playing through adversity in Nevada’s spring boys volleyball schedule, part of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association calendar.

Pahrump Valley was scheduled to face Moapa Valley on Friday, April 17, and that next match carried added weight. For a team still searching for rhythm, road tests like this one are becoming the kind of lessons that can shape the rest of the season.