Win over Flames vaults Kats atop standings

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Student-athletes shake hands following the conclusion of the Duncan-Valley Union match on Sept. 12. The Wildkats posted three seeding wins last week. Duncan heads to Fort Thomas on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

By Raymundo Frasquillo

DUNCAN – A lone match is on tap for the Kassi Mortensen-coached Duncan volleyball team this week. They visit the Fort Thomas Apaches for a non-region match on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Duncan’s next home match with Scottsdale Cicero Prep on Sept. 26, is a region pairing.

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Senior Elizabeth Basteen (1) leaps up for a successful block against Valley Union. The Wildkats had four of five successful blocks through their first four seeding matches.

The 3-set win over Phoenix Valley Lutheran on Sept. 14 propelled the Wildkats atop the 1A East Region standings. It is the only region pairing to date.

Thus far, Duncan (6-4 overall, 4-2 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) and 0-3 (15-25, 11-25, 23-25) to San Simon (Sept. 5).

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

1A East Region

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

Duncan has seeding 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) and 0-3 (15-25, 11-25, 23-25) to San Simon (Sept. 5).

Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Senior McKenzie Babers (7) positioned her hands in the right place to block the hit of Valley Union sophomore Kylee Gilbreth (11).

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), and 3-1 (25-8, 20-25, 25-20, 25-14) over San Manuel (Sept. 12). The loss is 1-3 to Pima (Sept. 11).

Cicero Prep has 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), and 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-9) over Joseph City (Sept. 14). 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).

Superior has a 3-1 (25-12, 20-25, 25-11, 25-23) win over Hayden (Sept. 12) and a 1-3 (13-25, 25-14, 16-25, 13-25) loss to Fort Thomas (Sept. 10).

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). 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: Brendy Paz (2) returns the ball over the net. The junior is listed as a setter and opposite-side hitter.

San Manuel has wins of 3-1 (25-21, 25-11, 16-25, 25-16) 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), and 1-3 (8-25, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25) to Fort Thomas (Sept. 12).

Valley Lutheran has 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).

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), and 1-3 (12-25, 25-20, 11-25, 23-25) to Superior (Sept. 12).

This week (Sept. 16-21), Duncan visits Fort Thomas, Ray visits San Manuel, Valley Lutheran hosts Superior, and Hayden visits Dishchii’bikoh on Tuesday, Sept. 17; Cicero Prep hosts Fort Thomas, Ray hosts Hayden, and San Manuel hosts Superior on Thursday, Sept. 19; Ray visits Patagonia on Saturday, Sept. 21; and Cicero Prep, Fort Thomas, and Valley Lutheran will be taking part in the 2-day Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin Tourney on Sept. 20-21.