Duncan hosts Blue Devils, Flames this week

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Shaylynn Rhoton (1) leads the Wildkats to the net following starting player introductions. Duncan hosts Elfrida Valley Union on Tuesday, Sept. 10, and Phoenix Valley Lutheran on Saturday, Sept. 14, after returning from Kearny Ray on Monday, Sept. 9.

By Raymundo Frasquillo

DUNCAN – The Kassi Mortensen-coached Duncan volleyball team hosts the Elfrida Valley Union Blue Devils on Tuesday, Sept. 10, and the Phoenix Valley Lutheran Flames on Saturday, Sept. 14, after visiting the Kearny Ray Bearcats on Monday, Sept. 9.

Thus far, Duncan has a 3-set (25-23, 25-10, 25-10) win over the San Manuel Miners (Sept. 5) and a 3-set (11-25, 19-25, 20-25) loss to the Pima Roughriders (Aug. 28).

*Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Brendy Paz tosses the ball up for a serve during the home opener with San Manuel on Sept. 5. The Duncan junior was the lead-off server.*

1A East Region

Region standings following two weeks of competition are Scottsdale Cicero Prep (3-1 seeding, 0-0 region), Fort Thomas (2-0, 0-0), Kearny Ray (2-1, 0-0), Duncan (1-2, 0-0), Phoenix Valley Lutheran (0-1, 0-0), San Manuel (0-2), Winkelman Hayden (0-3, 0-0), and Superior (0-0, 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), and 3-0 (25-10, 25-14, 25-19) over Anthem Prep (Sept. 6) as well as a 0-3 (19-25, 22-25, 20-25) loss to Phoenix Veritas Prep (Sept. 3).

Fort Thomas has wins of 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-15) over San Carlos (Sept. 3) and 3-1 (25-22, 25-21, 14-25, 25-15) over Valley Lutheran (Sept. 5).

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: The Wildkats high-five one another following the successful break of a 23-23 deadlock during the opening set. Duncan posted identical 25-10 scores in the ensuing sets for a 3-0 match win over San Manuel.

Ray has wins of 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-20) over Dishchii’bikoh (Aug. 29) and 3-2 (15-25, 25-20, 25-15, 17-25, 15-12) over San Tan Valley San Tan Foothills (Sept. 5) along with a 0-3 loss to Globe (Sept. 3).

Duncan defeated San Manuel 3-0 (25-23, 25-10, 25-10) (Sept. 5), and fell 0-3 (11-25, 19-25, 20-25) to Pima (Aug. 28) and 0-3 (15-25, 11-25, 23-25) to San Simon (Sept. 3); Valley Lutheran has a lone seeding loss, 1-3 (22-25, 21-25, 25-14, 15-25) to Fort Thomas (Sept. 5).

*Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Third-year head coach Kassi Mortensen adjusts the position of an on-court player before the next opponent’s serve.*

San Manuel has losses of 0-3 (13-25, 18-25, 14-25) to Patagonia (Sept. 4) and 0-3 (23-25, 10-25, 10-25) to Duncan (Sept. 5); Hayden fell 0-3 to Dishchii’bikoh (Aug. 28), 2-3 to Bagdad (Sept.6), and 0-3 to Patagonia (Sept. 7); and Superior has not played a seeding match. This week (Sept. 9-14), Cicero Prep visits Phoenix Horizon Honors on Sept. 9; Fort Thomas visits Superior, Ray hosts Duncan, San Manuel visits Tucson Arizona School for the Deaf and the Blind, and Hayden hosts Miami on Sept. 10; Cicero Prep hosts Phoenix Country Day School and Fort Thomas hosts Pima on Wednesday, Sept. 11; Ray visits Heber Mogollon, Duncan hosts Valley Union, San Manuel hosts Fort Thomas, and Hayden visits Superior on Thursday, Sept. 12; Cicero Prep visits Joseph City and Duncan hosts Valley Lutheran on Saturday, Sept. 14; and Ray will be attending the 2-day Mogollon Tourney beginning on Friday, Sept. 13.