Kylee Loewe is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Sandra Day O’Connor High School for AZPreps365 

ANTHEM – The Sandra Day O’Connor girls volleyball team dominated at Boulder Creek on Tuesday night, sweeping the Jaguars, 25-19, 25-14, 25-9.

The Eagles (10-3) were powered by sophomore outside hitter Alayah Krein, who finished with 13 kills. Krein set the tone early, racking up six kills in the opening set.

“Alayah’s got an arm, and she uses it,” Eagles coach Amanda Burbridge said. “She’s really aggressive, and we need that at times. She’s a great fire starter for us.”

Krein made an impact beyond the attack as well, leading O’Connor with five aces. She strung together three in a row during a 5-0 run in the second set, then opened the third set with another. She capped the sweep by dropping in the final ace of the night.

Krein was quick to credit her teammates for helping her create opportunities. 

“We all played amazing,” she said. “I think my middles stepped up a lot. They were always there for the block and made the back row so much easier.”

The Eagles had other standouts, including junior middle blocker Kristen Sheehy, who tallied seven kills and controlled the net defensively. Senior outside hitter Kaiya Kearney also stood out with 14 digs, keeping consistent pressure on the Jaguars.

Burbridge also praised freshman right side hitter Emma Breyer, who came alive in the final set with four kills and a block. 

“Emma did a great job stepping in,” Burbridge said. “She’s a great blocker, and it's really good to see our younger ones do well.”

Despite the quick loss, Boulder Creek coach Dale Jones commended his team’s resilience. 

“We played with such grit and fought for every single ball,” Jones said. “We may not be the biggest out there all the time, but we fight for it. So we’re proud – I’m proud of the girls.”

The Jaguars (7-8) were led by sophomore Laci Noice, who had four kills and three blocks. 

“Laci is gritty,” Jones said. “She’s a little shorter than what we were going up against, but it doesn’t matter because she just puts the ball away.”

Senior outside hitter Halo Sinanovic also contributed with four kills, three blocks and two aces. Jones applauded Sandra Day O’Connor’s strength across the board.

“That’s a great team,” he said. “Probably one of the best teams we will play all year, so we played them well.”

Burbridge said the Eagles are eager to keep building momentum with a quick turnaround on the road. 

“We have to continue to find our rhythm,” she said. “The more force we can get with our hitters and the more game reps, the better.”