Top two meet in region pairing on Thursday

By Raymundo Frasquillo

DUNCAN – The Kassi Mortensen-coached Duncan Wildkats travel to Superior for a non-region match on Tuesday, Sept. 24. They host Scottsdale Cicero Prep (5-3 seeding, 1-0 region) for a region pairing on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Thus far, Duncan (6-5 overall, 4-3 seeding, 1-0 region) has wins of 3-0 (25-23, 25-10, 25-10) over San Manuel (Sept. 5), 3-1 (23-25, 25-12, 25-18, 25-20) over Kearny Ray (Sept. 10), 3-1 over Elfrida Valley Union (Sept. 12), and 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-19) over Valley Lutheran (Sept. 14). The losses were 0-3 (11-25, 19-25, 20-25) to Pima (Aug. 28), 0-3 (15-25, 11-25, 23-25) to San Simon (Sept. 5), and 0-3 to Fort Thomas (Sept. 17).

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Emily Kempton (14) drills the ball over the outstretched hands of Valley Lutheran defenders. Area official Troy Thygerson closely watches net play during a match.

Additionally, the Wildkats went 2-2 during the Phoenix Horizon Honors Tourney on Sept. 7. Duncan fell 1-2 to Chandler Lincoln Prep, defeated Glendale Prep 2-0 and Eagar Round Valley 2-1 (25-23, 15-25, 16-14), and fell 0-2 to Ash Fork (17-25, 20-25).

1A East Region

Region standings following four weeks of competition are Scottsdale Cicero Prep (5-3 seeding, 1-0 region), Duncan (4-3, 1-0), Fort Thomas (5-2, 0-1), Kearny Ray (4-3, 0-0), Superior (2-2, 0-0), Phoenix Valley Lutheran (1-2, 0-1), San Manuel (1-5), and Winkelman Hayden (1-6, 0-0).

Cicero Prep has seeding wins of 3-0 (25-9, 26-24, 25-13) over Chandler Lincoln Prep (Aug. 28), 3-1 (25-16, 20-25, 25-8, 25-11) over Salome (Aug. 30), 3-0 (25-10, 25-14, 25-19) over Anthem Prep (Sept. 6), 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-9) over Joseph City (Sept. 14), and 3-0 (27-25, 25-8, 25-13) over Fort Thomas (Sept. 19). The losses are 0-3 (19-25, 22-25, 20-25) to Phoenix Veritas Prep (Sept. 3), 2-3 (21-25, 22-25, 25-16, 25-18, 9-15) to Phoenix Horizon Honors (Sept. 9), and 0-3 (13-25, 24-26, 23-25) to Phoenix Country Day (Sept. 11).

Duncan has wins of 3-0 (25-23, 25-10, 25-10) over San Manuel (Sept. 5), 3-1 (23-25, 25-12, 25-18, 25-20) over Kearny Ray (Sept. 10), 3-1 over Elfrida Valley Union (Sept. 12), and 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-19) over Phoenix Valley Lutheran (Sept. 14). The losses were 0-3 (11-25, 19-25, 20-25) to Pima (Aug. 28), 0-3 (15-25, 11-25, 23-25) to San Simon (Sept. 5), and 0-3 to Fort Thomas (Sept. 17).

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Lara Elmer (3) awaits being waved in for a substitution with Sierra Chamberlin (12). The Duncan Class of 2025 student-athletes number five on the 11-member roster.

Fort Thomas has wins of 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-15) over San Carlos (Sept. 3), 3-1 (25-22, 25-21, 14-25, 25-15) over Valley Lutheran (Sept. 5), 3-1 (25-13, 14-25, 25-16, 25-13) over Superior (Sept. 10), 3-1 (25-8, 20-25, 25-20, 25-14) over San Manuel (Sept. 12), and 3-0 over Duncan (Sept. 17). The losses are 1-3 to Pima (Sept. 11) and 0-3 (25-27, 8-25, 13-25) over Fort Thomas (Sept. 19).

Ray has wins of 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-20) over Dishchii’bikoh (Aug. 29), 3-2 (15-25, 25-20, 25-15, 17-25, 15-12) over San Tan Valley San Tan Foothills (Sept. 5), 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-20) over San Manuel (Sept. 17), and 3-1 over Hayden (Sept. 19). The losses are 0-3 to Globe (Sept. 3), 1-3 (25-23, 12-25, 18-25, 20-25) to Duncan (Sept. 10), and 0-3 (16-25, 13-25, 5-25) to Heber Mogollon (Sept. 12).

*Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Senior Elizabeth Basteen (1) readies a serve during her turn in the rotation.*

Superior has wins of 3-1 (25-12, 20-25, 25-11, 25-23) over Hayden (Sept. 12) and 2-1 (25-15, 22-25, 25-18) over San Manuel (Sept. 19). The losses are 1-3 (13-25, 25-14, 16-25, 13-25) to Fort Thomas (Sept. 10) and 0-3 (21-25, 12-25, 25-27) to Valley Lutheran (Sept. 17).

Valley Lutheran has a 3-0 (25-21, 25-12, 27-25) win over Superior (Sept. 17) along with losses of 1-3 (22-25, 21-25, 25-14, 15-25) to Fort Thomas (Sept. 5) and 0-3 (17-25, 12-25, 19-25) to Duncan (Sept. 14).

San Manuel has a 3-1 (25-21, 25-11, 16-25, 25-16) win over Tucson’s Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind (Sept. 10). The losses are 0-3 (13-25, 18-25, 14-25) to Patagonia (Sept. 4), 0-3 (23-25, 10-25, 10-25) to Duncan (Sept. 5), 1-3 (8-25, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25) to Fort Thomas (Sept. 12), 0-3 (19-25, 21-25, 20-25) to Ray (Sept. 17), and 1-2 (15-25, 25-22, 18-25) to Superior (Sept. 19).

*Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Duncan head coach Kassi Mortensen makes an adjustment during a timeout.*

Hayden has a 3-0 win over Miami (Sept. 10). The losses are 0-3 to Dishchii’bikoh (Aug. 28), 2-3 to Bagdad (Sept.6), 0-3 to Patagonia (Sept. 7), 1-3 (12-25, 25-20, 11-25, 23-25) to Superior (Sept. 12), 0-3 (18-25, 14-25, 16-25) to Dishchii’bikoh (Sept. 17), and 1-3 to Ray (Sept. 19).

This week (Sept. 23-28), Ray hosts San Simon and Valley Lutheran visits Hayden on Monday, Sept. 23; Duncan visits Superior, Fort Thomas hosts Hayden, and Ray visits Glendale Desert Heights Prep on Sept. 24; Valley Lutheran hosts Phoenix NFL Yet on Wednesday, Sept. 25; Cicero Prep visits Duncan and Ray visits Superior on Sept. 26; and Cicero Prep visits North Phoenix Prep on Friday, Sept. 27.