VOLLEYBALL: Rancho edges Las Vegas in five sets to maintain first place

Rancho volleyball coach Allegra Derzon smiled and exhaled in relief near the home sideline in the Rams’ gymnasium on Wednesday night after their match with conference rival Las Vegas.

After nearly two hours and five grueling sets against the Wildcats, Rancho still sits atop the Northeast League standings.

The Rams outlasted second-place Las Vegas for a 20-25, 25-8, 25-20, 22-25, 15-8 victory to gain another full-game of cushion in the conference with two regular-season games to play.

“Vegas brought it tonight. They really improved,” Derzon said, adding that she was nervous on-and-off throughout the game.

Rancho (14-15, 6-0 league), which is responsible for the Wildcats’ only two conference losses this season, will play Canyon Springs Tuesday and will end the year with senior night against Eldorado.

“They’re so well-coached. They’re fighters. They’re scrappy like us,” Derzon said. “I know what Vegas is capable of and we did not overlook them at one point tonight.”

And rightfully so.

The Wildcats (14-19, 5-2 league) won the first set with some crisp ball movement and some timely, first-set kills before awakening the Rams in the second set. Rancho settled in to a groove, especially with its services, and swung the momentum with its 25-8 second-set victory.

Las Vegas coach Justin Graham said his squad struggled with the Rams’ serving and thought it was a key factor in deciding the outcome of the game.

“There were some stretches where my girls just couldn’t pass the ball well enough,” Graham said. “Those five, six, seven, eight point stretches swing matches and swing momentum, especially in the second set.

“We couldn’t get through it and that was the difference.”

Rancho and Las Vegas each claimed another set — in that order — to force a fifth and final set to decide conference supremacy.

But much like the second set, the Rams’ serves were accurate and forced the Wildcats to scramble. There were several long volleys, and players on both sides dove and sprawled for points on nearly every play until Rancho finally secured a 15-8 and subsequent 3-2 victory.

Rams senior Karime Raygoza had 19 kills and 13 digs. Leiana Nacapuy added 51 assists. Victoria Barney was excellent in defeat for Las Vegas with 29 assists and 11 digs. Renice Suneo had three aces, 10 kills and three digs.

Rancho senior co-captain Sam Pochop, the reigning state Gatorade softball player of the year, said her team understood the implications of Wednesday night’s match up but was calm and prepared during and throughout the game.

“It was pretty relaxed. It was normal,” Pochop said. “During the game, you learn to play through everything and just execute.”