Adam Winnard is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Seton Catholic Preparatory for AZPreps365.

The Battle of the Realm tournament held at Arizona College Prep High School in Chandler was a weekend of surprises and perseverance. The Seton Catholic Sentinels ended the tournament 2-3-2.

The Sentinels pulled off two crucial wins over the Desert View Jaguars and the Higley Knights, who are both 5A schools. The Sentinels lost to the Mountain Ridge Mountain Lions the second game of the tournament. And even though it was a loss, it was a dog fight. The first set was forced into overtime, where the Mountain Lions pulled through and snatched the win 28-26. The Mountain Lions did not slow down as they would go on to win the second set 25-13 and walk away with the match victory. Other than the Catalina Foothills, which swept the Mountain Lions two games this tournament, the Sentinels are the only other team that forced a set overtime against them.

The Sentinels were faced up against some tough competition, but they embraced it as a learning opportunity, senior Mikayla Bell said. 

“It was really exciting to see new competition and really see what kind of skill level we have,” Bell said.

Although the Sentinels did not walk out of the tournament with a winning record, the tournament games were a chance for some players who don’t always see the court to have more playing time, head coach James Johnson said. 

“They grind in practice, so for them to get some time in there and earn spots in the regular season games is impressive,” Johnson said.

The last match of the tournament against the Chandler Wolves was a highlight. The Wolves, who are ranked 14th in 6A, ultimately left the floor with two set wins to take it home. However, the first set of the match was in the hands of both squads. The 4A squad of the Sentinels forced overtime to the Wolves who ended up winning the set 29-27 with stellar performances from freshman Rylan Keane, who had eight kills and nine digs, and sophomore Elizabeth Steinkamp, who had seven kills and six digs.

The Sentinels came out very strong but just could not find their groove.

“Consistency,” assistant coach Brian Milhone said. “We’ve worked on consistency. That struggled in the tournament and we’re seeing more of it right now. However, this team's chemistry is one of the best teams I have ever coached.”

As of Thursday, Seton Catholic Prep is No. 17 in 4A, according to AZPreps365. The final rankings, along with the playoff play-in games, will be released Friday, Oct. 27.