Sean Brennan is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Dobson High School for AZPreps365.com.

As Dobson High School’s girls’ varsity volleyball team geared up for the Tournament of Champions at Dobson High School in Mesa, head coach Jim Van Wicklin said his main objective was for his girls to improve as a team. And after the Mustangs put up a fight against some of the top squads in the region, it’s safe to say his group crushed that goal.

Dobson finished the tournament 0-7, but its record alone doesn’t tell the whole story. The team became increasingly competitive as the tournament progressed, even taking a set from Deer Valley in its final match.

The first-year head coach explained that when a team is developing, it’s essential to acknowledge the small victories.

“It’s celebrating those little wins, you know?,” Van Wicklin said. “And so it’s, ‘What can we do to grow? Can we make the right digs against the big teams?’ So I was proud of them.”

Almost all of the Mustangs’ 15 varsity players do not play on travel teams and are still developing their skills. This makes the fact that they fit the part against the region’s best teams all the more impressive.

Dobson took on Gilbert High School, which leads the 6A Central Division, in its first match of the tournament on Friday, and was defeated in two sets (25-9, 25-11).

In its next match, Dobson faced off against Centennial High School. After dropping the first set 25-21, the Mustangs forced the Coyotes into several errors during the second set and were led by senior opposite hitter Nadia Range, who picked up two aces. However, Centennial’s offense proved too much, and Dobson was bested, 25-20.

Although Dobson didn’t get the results it wanted in its first two matches, Van Wicklin said he was impressed with his squad’s play, as they showed strong discipline and never stopped fighting.

Spirits were high for Dobson heading into its third match of the day, where it was slated to take on Mountain View High School. The Mustangs’ confidence showed in the first set, as they traded punches with the Toros before losing 25-19. Mountain View then took a decisive 25-13 victory in set number two, handing Dobson its third loss of the day.

Dobson closed out day one of the tournament when it took on Basha High School. While the Mustangs put together a valiant effort, they ultimately lost in two sets, 25-12, 25-16.

Senior setter/opposite hitter Daycie Graham was pleased with her team’s effort during the last two games on Friday, saying they did a good job of following their game plan and focusing on the positives.

“I think today, we were just really focused on the game plan,” Graham said. “We weren’t thinking about what we were messing up, we were just thinking about what we could do good from our gameplan.”

Van Wicklin also had high praise for his group, emphasizing that they never quit and battled the whole way.

“What I love about these girls is that they don't give up, they keep pushing,” Van Wicklin said.

The Mustangs were back in action on Saturday with a match against Desert Mountain High School. Dobson battled until the final whistle, but was bested in two sets, 25-15, 25-17.

Next up for Dobson was Mountain Ridge High School, which had a 2-2 overall record heading into the tournament. While the Mustangs kept it close for a large part of both sets they played, the Mountain Lions were able to pull away and win the match in two sets, 25-14, 25-15.

The group stage of the tournament concluded after Dobson’s loss to Mountain Ridge. Dobson then faced Deer Valley High School in a single-elimination match. And the Mustangs saved their best for last: senior outside hitter/defensive specialist/libero Tailynn Burcham recorded eight kills, two aces and a block en route to a 25-19 victory in the first set. Graham finished the set with two aces of her own along with a 100% serving percentage and 17 assists.

Dobson continued to go exchange punches with the Skyhawks during the next two sets, but narrowly dropped both by scores of 25-22 and 15-11.

Despite the loss, junior outside hitter/opposite hitter/defensive specialist Bella Phipps said that finally winning a set in the tournament was an amazing experience.

“It was unreal,” Phipps said. “We’ve lost the past nine games, and just for us to find that winning feeling again, it was great.”

Dobson (3-9) will be back on its home court when it hosts Camelback High School on Wednesday, September 14.