HENDERSON – The Prairie View high school volleyball team finished its season on a high note.  

The ThunderHawks cruised through their match with Mountain Range, winning all three sets 25-23, 25-8 and 25-8.  

Prairie View finished the season with a 9-14 overall record and 4-9 in the Class 5A Front Range League, while Mountain Range fell to 1-21 overall and 0-13 in the FRL.  

Early on, it looked like Mountain Range was going to take the victory. The Mustangs jumped out with an early 6-4 advantage in the first game with an ace from Kaeli Maruyama and a kill by Robyn Yang.  

After an ace and kill by the ThunderHawks’ Elena Gonzales, the Mustangs reeled off six consecutive points to go up 23-20. But Hailey Kizer answered with a pair of aces to seal the first frame for Prairie View.  

The ThunderHawks continued to roll on the next set, scoring the final 12 points. Senior Kira Ulibarri scored a pair of aces, while Paige Walker and Bella Campbell each had a kill for Prairie View.  

Walker kept the momentum going for PVHS, opening the final set with both a block and a kill as Mountain Range once again didn’t have an answer at the net.  

“The team really came out strong and took control,” PVHS coach Tara Franck said. “It was nice to see them get in a rhythm and take care of business.”  

Ulibarri led Prairie View with eight kills, while Gonzales had six aces and 14 digs. Peyton Mailliard and Yang each had two kills to lead Mountain Range, while Maruyama had three aces.  

The ThunderHawks will lose a strong group of seniors in Gonzales, Ulibarri, Hevani Tuiono, Clara Koster and Hailey Kizer. Gonzales led the team in kills (73), aces (59) and digs (235). Kizer was second in aces (35) and digs (135), and Ulibarri was second on the team in kills (59) and third digs (135). Tuioni was second on the team with 18 blocks.   

“We are really going to miss them. They were a great group of leaders,” Franck said.   

The ThunderHawks will return Walker who led the team with 26 blocks.  

Mountain Range also will lose Maruyama, Ava Zamboni, Kiana Galan, Julisse Harris and Ava Fedje to graduation.