The Pinnacle Panthers hosted the Green River Pirates for their last match before the state tournament. The teams met before in Green River, where the match went all five sets, ending in a win for the Pirates on their home court.
This time around, the match was set on the Panthers court, on their Senior Night. Jostyn McLean and Orianna Manchester were honored for volleyball. The cross country team was also recognized as Luz Ruelas and Heather Kerr were honored in both sports for the Lady Panthers. Kaydence Romero, a member of the baseball team, was also honored for cross country.
Pinnacle Volleyball Head Coach Nikki Otto had a message for her group, “To our seniors, tonight is about you. For the last few years, you’ve given your time, your energy and your hearts to this team. You’ve spent countless hours practicing, growing, learning and, most importantly, building a family here on this court. From the early mornings and late-night bus rides, to the big wins and the tough losses, you’ve shown what it means to be dedicated athletes and incredible teammates.”
She continued, “As you step off the court for the last time tonight, I want you to remember that this is not the end but rather the beginning of your next chapter. The lessons you’ve learned here—about teamwork, perseverance and pushing past your limits—will carry you far in life, no matter where your journey takes you. You are strong, capable and prepared for whatever comes next. You will be missed, but you will always be a part of this volleyball family. You’ve made me proud in ways words can’t fully capture. Thank you for everything. Tonight, we play for you.”
The first set was starting off where the teams had left off in their last meeting. The Lady Pirates would come away with the set win, 25-21, in a close battle. In set two, the momentum was in favor of Green River, as they made in two in a row with the win, 25-12. Going into se three, the Lady Panthers were unable to stop the fired-up Pirate squad, as the completed the sweep, winning 25-18.
Rosa Barragan led the Green River team with 10 digs, as well as five aces, two kills, two blocks and two assists. Elizabeth Argomaniz ended the match with six kills, six blocks, five digs, three assists and an ace. Haylie Nelson had a kill, a block, four digs, three assists and five aces for the Pirates.
Jess Norman finished the night with three kills, eight digs and three assists. Nora Barragan had two assists, three digs, two blocks, two kills and five aces for the winning squad. Mattie Meadows ended the match with a kill, two aces, five blocks, three digs and three assists.
For the Pinnacle squad, Jostyn McLean had a kill, an ace, two assists and eight digs in the match. Jazmyne Mullis led the team in kills with four, as well as three digs. Xylee Perry had an ace, five digs and three assists for the Panthers. Orianna Manchester had a kill, four digs and an assist. Luz Ruelas had four digs and Heather Kerr finished with two aces on the Panthers Senior Night.
The teams will both now prepare for the 1A state tournament, where the first round will begin on Saturday, Oct. 26 on the higher-ranked teams home court. The rest of the tournament will be set for Nov. 1-2, at Sevier Valley Center in Richfield.
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- Photos by Traci Bishop
