Top-ranked Snowflake, No. 5 PCDS, and No. 6 Rock Point claim state titles

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Mia Abalos (4) elevates to send the ball toward Snowflake defenders, junior Kloah Ulberg (15) and senior Lily Lundberg (2) during the regular season home match. The Safford junior setter received 3A South Region Second Team honors while Lundberg was named 3A East Region Honorable Mention. Snowflake earned the state title as Safford fell during the first round to eventual state runner-up Phoenix Northwest Christian.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Mia Abalos (4) elevates to send the ball toward Snowflake defenders, junior Kloah Ulberg (15), and senior Lily Lundberg (2) during the regular season home match. The Safford junior setter received 3A South Region Second Team honors while Lundberg was named 3A East Region Honorable Mention. Snowflake earned the state title as Safford fell during the first round to eventual state runner-up Phoenix Northwest Christian.

Thatcher falls in semis; Safford, Duncan, and Fort Thomas in round one; Morenci in play-in

By Raymundo Frasquillo

MARICOPA COUNTY – “We are the champions, my friends”….Queen, 1977.

Six teams, five this weekend and one last weekend can tell respective classmates, school student bodies, and communities they are the class champions of the just completed 2022 volleyball post-season.

Top-ranked 3A Snowflake (16-1) defeated No. 3 Phoenix Northwest Christian (16-1) in three sets (25-18, 25-23, 31-29), and 2A No. 5 Phoenix Country Day School (14-3) went four sets (17-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-17) to down No. 10 Saint Johns (15-2). The championship matches were both held in the Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum on Nov. 12. There were 45 3A teams and 46 2A teams at the season’s start. The 3A higher seeds went 12-3 and the 2A higher seeds were a combined 10-5 during the 3-round meets.

Rock Point (16-1 seeding) bested No. 1 Williams (17-1) 15-11 in the fifth set as No. 2 during the 1A final held at Scottsdale Coronado on Nov. 5. Rock Point prevailed 25-16 in the first set and 25-15 in the fourth set. Williams won the second (27-25) and third (25-22) sets. The smallest enrollment class ended the regular season with 40 eligible teams. The higher seeds went a combined 13-2 during the state meet.

The 4A, 5A, and 6A finals were also held at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on the same date. Goodyear Estrella Foothills downed Scottsdale Arcadia in four sets (25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 25-22) for the 4A title, Phoenix Horizon defeated Goodyear Millennium in four sets (25-23, 22-25, 30-28, 27-25) for the 5A title and Tempe Corona del Sol slipped past Chandler Hamilton in five sets (19-25, 25-15, 22-25, 25-16, 15-6) for the 6A title. The teams numbered 48 (4A), 47 (5A), and 42 (6A).

3A State Tourney

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Morenci senior hitter/middle blocker Mia Ontiveros (7) joined five others in that position on the 2A East Region First team. Seniors Celina Manuz (libero) and Sonia Roybal (setter) along with junior Alizabeth Aguilar (hitter/middle blocker) were on the region’s second team.

All three rounds were held on the Tempe Marcos de Niza campus, the first round and quarterfinals on Nov. 5, and the semifinals on Nov. 11.

One higher and one lower seed advanced during the semifinals, No. 1 Snowflake (16-1) over No. 4 Thatcher (14-3) in five sets (25-23, 25-21, 24-26, 21-25, 15-9) and No. 3 Northwest Christian (16-1) over No. 2 Chandler Valley Christian (15-1) in three sets (25-14, 25-21, 25-22).

All four lower seeds were eliminated during the quarterfinals, No. 8 Gilbert Christian (13-4) by No. 1 Snowflake (16-1) in three sets (25-18, 25-22, 25-20), No. 7 Lakeside Blue Ridge (13-4) by No. 2 Chandler Valley Christian (15-1) in four sets (25-10, 30-28, 22-25. 25-12), No. 11 Tucson Tanque Verde (14-3) by No. 3 Northwest Christian (16-1) in three sets (25-14, 25-21, 25-22), and No. 12 Scottsdale Christian (11-6) by No. 4 Thatcher (14-3) in four sets (25-15, 18-25, 25-23, 25-18).

Six lower seeds and two higher seeds were eliminated during the first round, No. 16 Parker (10-7) by No. 1 Snowflake in three sets (25-18, 25-15, 25-18), No. 15 Camp Verde (12-6) by Valley Christian in four sets (25-21, 23-25, 25-10. 25-16), No. 14 Safford (13-4) by Northwest Christian in three sets (25-21, 25-21, 25-15), No. 13 Winslow (10-8) by Thatcher in four sets (24-26, 25-16, 25-23, 25-19), No. 10 Show Low (12-5) by Blue Ridge in three sets (25-11, 25-17, 25-18), and No. 9 Kayenta Monument Valley (15-2) by Gilbert Christian in five sets (17-25, 19-25, 25-19, 26-24, 15-9).

The two upsets were in five sets (19-25, 25-21, 25-23, 14-25, 15-13) by No. 11 Tucson Tanque Verde (14-3) over No. 6 Tuba City (16-2) and in three sets (25-19, 25-14, 25-16) by No. 12 Scottsdale Christian (11-6) over No. 5 Buckeye Odyssey Institute (17-1).

3A State Play-in Round:

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Duncan sophomore Reymia Contreras (2) was tabbed the 1A Tucson Southeast Region Defensive Player of the Year as well as a first-team member.

The East Region had all six members entered; the South, West, and North Central Regions four; the North and South Central Regions three entrants in the top 24. The teams ranked nine through 24 met at the higher seed for the play-in round on Nov. 1. Teams ranked one through eight drew automatic berths into the first round versus the play-in winners on Nov. 5.

Seven lower seeds and one higher seed were eliminated during the play-in round. Number 24 Tucson Sabino (11-6 seeding) by Monument Valley in three sets, No. 23 Page (9-7) by Show Low in three sets, No. 22 Payson (5-12) by Tanque Verde in four sets, No. 21 Mesa Benjamin Franklin (10-7) by Scottsdale Christian in three sets, No. 20 Holbrook (7-10) by Winslow in four sets (17-25, 25-15, 25-19, 25-21), No. 19 Yuma Catholic (10-6) by Safford in five sets, and No. 18 Waddell American Leadership – West Foothills (12-4) by Camp Verde in four sets.

The lone upset was in five sets by No. 17 Parker over No. 16 Fountain Hills (10-7).

2A State Tourney

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Thatcher senior Peyton Devlin (15) was named 3A South Region Co-Player of the Year and region offensive player of the year. The No. 4 Eagles fell in five sets to top-seed Snowflake during the semifinals.

All three rounds were held on the Glendale Mountain Ridge campus, the first round and quarterfinals on Nov. 5, and the semifinals on Nov. 11. The East, North, and Valley Regions each fielded three entrants; the Central, South, and West Regions had two; and the Metro had one for the round of 16.

The seeds split during the semifinals as well as during the quarterfinals, and seven lower seeds and one higher seed were eliminated following the first round.

The semifinals both resulted in 4-set upsets, 25-22, 18-25, 27-25, and 25-17 by No. 5 Phoenix Country Day School (14-3 seeding) over No. 1 Phoenix Horizon Honors (15-2) and 25-19, 16-25, 25-19, and 25-23 by No. 10 Saint Johns (15-2) over No. 3 Trivium Prep (14-3).

It was Horizon Honors over No. 8 Phoenix Veritas Prep (11-6) in four sets (25-20, 22-25, 25-13, 25-20) during the quarterfinals and over No. 16 Flagstaff Northland Prep (14-6) in three sets (25-13, 25-17, 25-18) during the first round; No. 5 Phoenix Country Day School over No. 4 Kingman Academy (15-2) in four sets (25-27, 25-18, 25-22, 25-9) during the quarterfinals and over No. 12 Avondale Saint John Paul II Catholic (13-6) in three sets (25-9, 25-20, 25-8) during the first round; along with Veritas Prep over No. 9 Scottsdale Prep (12-5) in four sets (25-15, 25-17, 24-26, 25-23) and No. 4 Kingman Academy over No. 13 Gilbert San Tan Charter (15-3) in three sets (25-17, 25-12, 25-11) during the first round in the upper bracket.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Duncan senior Kaylee Kempton (6) landed 1A Tucson Southeast Region First Team honors. Juniors Aubrey Evans (hitter/middle blocker) and Rachel Summer (setter) were named to the region’s second team. Duncan bowed out of the state meet during the first round.

The lower bracket had No. 3 Trivium Prep over No. 6 Rancho Solano Prep (12-4) in three sets (25-15, 25-13, 25-13) during the quarterfinals and over No. 14 Tempe Prep (10-8) in three sets (25-14, 25-13, 25-17) during the first round; No. 10 Saint Johns over No. 2 Chandler Prep (15-2) in three sets (25-16, 27-25, 25-21) during the quarterfinals and over No. 7 Tombstone (17-1) in four sets (25-20, 25-9, 25-27, 25-12) during the first round; as well as Rancho Solano Prep over No. 11 Phoenix Arizona Lutheran (10-7) in four sets (25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 25-19) and Chandler Prep over No. 15 Gilbert Classical (14-5) in three sets (25-19, 25-9, 25-10) during the first round.

2A State Play-in Round:

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Thatcher senior setter Madden Bingham (1) was one of two Eagles selected to the 3A South Region First Team.

The teams ranked nine through 24 took part in the play-in round on Nov. 1. Teams ranked one through eight drew automatic berths into the first round on Nov. 5.

Eliminated were No. 24 Mesa Arete Prep (12-6 seeding) by Scottsdale Prep in three sets (25-7, 25-18, 25-21), No. 23 Glendale Prep (10-7) by Saint Johns in three sets (25-16, 25-11, 25-13), No. 22 Benson (9-8) by Arizona Lutheran in four sets (25-12, 25-9, 16-25, 25-22), No. 21 Pinon (9-4) by Saint John Paul II in three sets (), No. 20 Sanders Valley (11-5) by San Tan Charter in four sets (25-20, 17-25, 25-14, 25-23), No. 19 Willcox (12-6) by Tempe Prep in three sets (25-20, 25-18, 25-19), and No. 18 Maricopa Sequoia Pathway (9-7) by Gilbert Classical in four sets (26-24, 19-25, 25-13, 25-22).

1A State Tourney

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Saint David junior Anissa Jacquez (12) was named the 1A Tucson Southeast Region Player of the Year and teammate Mayla Trejo Offensive Player of the Year. The Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals before bowing out in three sets to Joseph City.

The first round was held at the higher seeds on Nov. 1, the quarterfinals and semifinals at Scottsdale Coronado on No. 4, and the final at Coronado on Nov. 12.

Williams (17-1 seeding) defeated No. 4 Scottsdale Cicero Prep (15-3) in three sets (25-11, 25-21, 25-13) during the semifinals on Nov. 4, No. 8 Fort Thomas (12-6) in three sets (25-13, 25-7, 25-12) during the quarterfinals on Nov. 4, and No. 16 Kearny Ray (11-5) in three sets (25-13, 25-17, 25-12) during the first round on Nov. 1.

 Rock Point (16-1) eliminated No. 6 Joseph City (12-6) in five sets (25-19, 25-17, 17-25, 20-25, 15-11) during the semifinals, No. 7 Heber Mogollon (11-5) in four sets (17-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-14) during the quarterfinals, and No. 15 Tucson Desert Christian (12-5) in three sets (25-13, 26-24, 25-18) during the first round.

The other quarterfinals were Cicero Prep over No. 5 Teec Nos Pos Red Mesa (13-3) in three sets (25-11, 25-19, 25-22), Joseph City over No. 3 Saint David (15-1) in three sets (25-23, 25-21, 25-17).

In the first round, it was Fort Thomas over No. 9 Phoenix Valley Lutheran (10-5) in five sets (23-25, 26-28, 25-21, 26-24, 15-10), Red Mesa over No. 12 Duncan (11-6) in three sets (25-19, 25-22, 25-11), Cicero Prep over No. 13 Ash Fork (10-6) in three sets (25-10, 25-8, 25-10), Saint David over No. 14 Colorado City El Capitan (11-4) in three sets (25-21, 25-21, 25-19), Joseph City over No. 11 Bagdad (11-3) in three sets (25-11, 25-17, 25-15), and Heber Mogollon over No. 10 North Phoenix Prep (13-3) in three sets (25-19, 25-17, 25-18).