The Bishop Gorman girls volleyball team has looked the part as the defending Class 5A state champion.

On Friday night, even without one of their top contributors, the Gaels continued their dominance.

Playing without Pitt commit Ayanna Watson, Bishop Gorman, No. 1 in the Review-Journal’s 5A rankings, still managed a 25-19, 25-8, 25-22 sweep at Faith Lutheran.

Without Watson, the Gaels (21-8, 9-0 5A Desert League) turned to their other Pitt commit, Trinity Thompson, to lead the team past the Crusaders (16-16, 4-5).

Thompson finished with 36 assists. Gorman opened the match on a 9-3 run, with Thompson assisting on five of those points.

Senior Brooklynn Williams led the way with 16 kills. Of Thompson’s 13 first-set assists, seven went to Williams.

Gorman coach Gregg Nunley explained how important Thompson is when the Gaels aren’t at full strength.

“She’s an incredible player,” he said. “Her volleyball IQ is super high. She makes great choices and has the athleticism to back it up. We’re blessed to have her.”

After winning the first set, Gorman made sure not to let up in the second, starting the set on a 9-2 run. Following a timeout from Faith Lutheran, Gorman went on a 16-5 run to end the set, helped by unforced errors from the Crusaders.

Faith Lutheran battled in the third set, but Gorman went on a 4-0 run to go up 17-12 and never looked back.

With the victory, Gorman is one step closer to securing the top seed in the 5A Southern Region playoffs.

Nunley says now is the time for his team to not forget about its goals for the season.

“We’re just keeping the kids motivated in practice,” he said. “We’re always talking about our goals. Everything we do is goal-driven.”