State preview: A look at high school soccer, volleyball state tournaments

The high school boys and girls soccer, and girls volleyball seasons are coming to an end.

State champions across each classification of the three sports will be crowned this week with the final four teams in each playoff tournament ready to battle for the title.

State action begins Wednesday, highlighted by the Class 5A girls soccer state semifinals at Faith Lutheran. No. 1-seeded Bishop Gorman plays No. 4 Centennial at 5 p.m. and No. 2 Faith Lutheran faces No. 3 Arbor view at 6:30 p.m.

Here’s a look at the soccer and volleyball state action this week:

Girls soccer

5A: Bishop Gorman (19-2-1) and Faith Lutheran (14-2-3) will play their first games in nearly two weeks after the top two teams in the 5A Southern League standings had byes straight to Wednesday’s state semifinals.

Gorman, Faith Lutheran and Arbor View (17-2-3) were separated by one game atop the standings as a result of one of the most competitive girls soccer seasons between the top teams in the standings.

Faith Lutheran is looking to win a third straight 5A title and to be the first team since Arbor View’s five straight 4A titles from 2012 to 2016. The Crusaders are 1-0-2 against Arbor View this season, which included a 2-2 result on Oct. 19 before the Crusaders’ 4-1 loss to Centennial on Oct. 21.

Gorman defeated Centennial (13-5-3) twice this season and both games were decided by one goal. The Gaels’ last game was a 5-1 loss to Arbor View on Oct. 21.

4A: The 4A state tournament is Friday and Saturday at Spring Valley. Palo Verde defeated Sierra Vista 4-1 to win the Southern Region title and be the Southern representatives. 4A features the top classification of Northern Region teams.

Palo Verde (17-3) plays Reno High at 5 p.m. Friday at Spring Valley in a state semifinal. Sierra Vista (18-3) plays Northern champion Galena at 6:45 p.m. The state title game is at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Palo Verde lost to Galena in last year’s state semifinals in Reno before Galena lost to state champion Doral Academy. Sierra Vista’s only other state semifinal appearance was in 2014 (3A).

Palo Verde’s last state titles were back-to-back 4A titles in 2005 and 2006 when Nevada did not have a unified state champion with Southern schools playing in the winter and Northern schools playing in the fall.

3A: The 3A state tournament begins Friday at Reed High School in Reno. Moapa Valley (20-5-2) defeated Boulder City 2-0 to win the Southern Region title.

The Pirates face two-time defending state champion South Tahoe at 2 p.m. Friday. Boulder City (11-3-4) plays Northern region champion Truckee at noon.

It’s the first girls soccer state semifinal appearance for Moapa Valley. Boulder City last reached the state tournament in 2021.

Boys soccer

5A: There will be a new 5A boys soccer state champion with Coronado, the on-the-field winner of the last three titles not in the state tournament. Arbor View won its first boys soccer championship by winning the Southern Region title over Palo Verde in penalty kicks.

Arbor View (14-8-3), making its second state semifinal appearance, faces Sparks at 5 p.m. Friday at Faith Lutheran and Palo Verde (16-5-3) plays Northern champion Hug at 6:45 p.m. The state title game is at noon Saturday at Faith Lutheran.

Arbor View is seeking its first boys soccer title. Palo Verde, which is making its fourth straight state tournament appearance, last won a state title in 2021. Hug and Sparks are routinely the Northern representatives and should give both Southern opponents a challenge.

4A: The 4A state tournament, which is a Southern-only classification, is down to its final four teams. Spring Valley will host the state semifinals Thursday night and the state title game at noon Saturday.

Defending 4A state champion Sunrise Mountain (11-2-3) faces Cimarron-Memorial (12-9-1) at 5 p.m. Thursday in a state semifinal and Green Valley (12-4-4) plays Chaparral (13-5-10) at 6:45 p.m. in the other semifinal.

Sunrise Mountain is seeking its fourth boys soccer title and Cimarron-Memorial hasn’t been to a state semifinal since 2015. Chaparral lost to last year’s state runner-up SLAM! Nevada in the semifinals and Green Valley was the 4A state runner-up in 2021 and 2022.

3A: Pahrump Valley outlasted Virgin Valley 5-2 to win the Southern Region title. The 3A boys state tournament is also at Reed High.

Pahrump Valley (9-5-1) plays Truckee at 6 p.m. Friday and Virgin Valley (17-5-2) faces Northern Region champion and three-time defending state champion South Tahoe at 4 p.m.

Pahrump Valley and Virgin Valley are both seeking their first boys soccer state titles. Pahrump Valley last reached the state semifinals in 2005, and Virgin Valley was a state semifinalist last in 2023 and 2025.

Girls volleyball

5A: There could be a new 5A girls volleyball state champion. Faith Lutheran defeated three-time defending 5A state champion Bishop Gorman 3-1 in the Southern Region title game.

Faith Lutheran (31-7) is making its first state tournament appearance since 2018 (4A) and looking to win its first state title since 2014 (3A). Gorman (31-7) has won the state title in the top classification six out of the last seven years.

The 5A state tournament is Thursday and Friday at UNR’s Virginia Street Gym. Faith Lutheran faces Carson at 7 p.m. Thursday and Gorman plays Northern champion Manogue at 5:20 p.m. The state title match is at 1 p.m. Friday.

4A: The 4A state tournament, which is a Southern-only classification, is down to its final four teams. Mountain League champion Sierra Vista will get to play in the comforts of its own gym as it looks to defend its state title.

Sierra Vista will host the 4A state semifinals (Wednesday) and state title match (2 p.m.). The Mountain Lions (24-12) face Sky Pointe at 5 p.m. Wednesday and Silverado (20-15) plays Desert Oasis (22-15) at 6:30 p.m.

Sierra Vista has not lost a match this season to a Nevada opponent (18-0) this season and the Mountain Lions defeated Sky Pointe in a sweep in a tournament. Silverado lost to Sierra Vista in last year’s title game and faces a Desert Oasis (22-15) team that was the only 4A opponent to push Sierra Vista to five sets.

3A: Virgin Valley upset five-time defending state champion The Meadows in five sets to win the Southern Region title. The Mustangs had not lost to a Nevada opponent all season.

The 3A state tournament begins Friday at Sierra Vista. Virgin Valley (25-13) plays Truckee at 3:30 p.m. Friday and The Meadows (27-4) plays Northern champion South Tahoe at 5 p.m.

The Meadows was 24-0 against Nevada opponents before its loss to Virgin Valley. The Mustangs beat South Tahoe 2-1 in a tournament in October. The Meadows has won the last three 3A state titles and won back-to-back 2A titles in 2021 and 2022.

Contact Alex Wright at [email protected]. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.