Laura White is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Verrado High School for AZPreps365.com

BUCKEYE – The Verrado girls volleyball team put a broom to their home court Monday night as they swept Ironwood, 26-24, 25-22, 25-18. 

It was a much-needed victory for the Vipers after losing their first two matches of the season.  Meanwhile, Ironwood (4-5) came in with more momentum and experience on the season.

“I think that this is the kind of tone that we're looking to set,” Vipers coach Tiffany Liddile said. “This is a great win for (us) against a really tough team.”

Verrado was led by junior middle blocker Aniah Brown, who had 17 kills. Brown came into the match with just nine kills through the first seven sets of the season and nearly doubled that number in one game. 

“I feel like my energy was really high,” Brown said. “I feel like it helped all my teammates as well.”

Brown wasn’t the only player to step up for Verrado. Junior libero Elleana Bejarano delivered six digs and played a critical role in anchoring the defense and setting up plays from the back row.

“She’s my eyes and ears in the back,” Brown said. “She always tells me which spots to hit and which blockers are up.”

That communication was a key part of Verrado’s success against the Eagles where each set was decided by just a few points. The Vipers’ back row defense and hustle kept rallies alive and gave hitters like Brown opportunities to score. 

“We just hustled and gave it our all till we got the set,” Bejarano said. “We went and fought for our spots.”

Verrado maintained a steady level of effort across the board. Freshman Taylor Thomas and Brown each served up three aces. Junior Alyssa Ortiz recorded 10 kills and sophomore Hannah Ibsen added six.

Liddile said her players tell each other, “All gas, no breaks.” 

From start to finish, Verrado’s pressure kept the Eagles off balance and unable to settle into their usual style of play.

“We were playing hesitant and just kind of not our normal selves,” Ironwood coach Lisa Lopez said. “We just couldn't get in a rhythm. We couldn't get in a flow.”

Despite the tough night on the court, the focus for Ironwood is now on how the team bounces back with plenty of games left in the season.

“I let them know that just because we lost the season’s not over,” Lopez said. “We just gotta get back to the grind of things.”

The win not only marked Verrado’s first of the season, but also gave the team a much-needed confidence boost heading into the rest of its schedule.

“We really wanted to come out and make a statement against this team,”  Liddile said.