Gila Herald Staff Reports
TUBA CITY — The No. 13 Thatcher Eagles volleyball team delivered a thriller up north Thursday night, going on the road to upset the No. 4 Tuba City Warriors in a five-set marathon, 3-2 (25-21, 17-25, 18-25, 25-23, 15-9), in the first round of the 3A State Volleyball Playoffs.
After taking an early lead with a 25-21 opening set, the Eagles faced heavy resistance from the hosts. Tuba City stormed back to claim the second set 25-17 and built momentum with a 25-18 victory in the third set, putting Thatcher’s season on the brink of extinction.
Refusing to fold, Thatcher dug deep in a grueling fourth set. The Eagles executed key plays down the stretch to edge out a tight 25-23 win and force a deciding fifth set. Carrying that momentum into the final frame, Thatcher outmatched Tuba City 15-9 to complete the clutch comeback victory and keep their postseason run alive.
Up Next: Quarterfinals Preview vs. No. 5 Snowflake
With the opening-round battle behind them, Thatcher (13-3 conference, 25-10 overall) now advances to the 3A State quarterfinals, where they will square off against the No. 5 Snowflake Lobos on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 12 p.m. The quarterfinal matchup will take place at Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix.
Snowflake enters the contest boasting a 27-14 record and plenty of momentum after sweeping Benjamin Franklin 3-0 in their first-round matchup.
A Heavyweight Doubleheader Ahead
The winner of Saturday’s matchup won’t have long to rest. The 3A state bracket features a quick turnaround, with the semifinal round taking place later that same day at Mountain Pointe High School.
Should Thatcher advance past Snowflake, they will move on to the upper bracket semifinal at 6 p.m. to face either No. 1 overall seed Gilbert Christian or No. 8 Yuma Catholic.
All teams remaining in the field are fighting for a spot in the 3A Volleyball Championship, which is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, at 12:15 p.m. at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
