Sebastian Quinn is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Scottsdale Prep for AZPreps365.com

Scottsdale Prep extended its win streak to five, defeating Rancho Solano in three sets, 25-11, 25-13, 25-23, on Monday night.

The Spartans moved to an overall record of 10-3. With a 4-2 2A Central region record, the Spartans remained in fourth place.

As for Rancho Solano, Monday’s loss put an end to its own six-game win streak, falling to an overall 11-3 overall, and 5-1 in region. It was only the team’s second time being swept all season. The Mustangs remained in second place in the 2A Central.

The first set started tied at six, followed by an eight-point run by Scottsdale Prep. A pair of Mustang timeouts wasn’t enough to stop the Spartans' momentum, as they ended the set on a 19-4 run.

Senior Sophie Ryken was the star of the first set, recording a team-high six kills. Each one was met with an uproar from the Spartans’ home crowd and the team bench.

“It really just creates such a good energy,” Ryken said. “It pushes momentum forward so that we can have a strong finish for the set.”

In the second set, the Spartans jumped out to an early 7-1 lead. As the Mustangs tried to put points on the board, junior Allie Brooks managed to smash the ball to the back corner to end another opposing run. Despite her efforts, the Spartans continued to control the pace of play, never allowing Rancho Solano to find a rhythm. 

As Rancho Solano readied for the third, and potentially final set, the team was reminded to play with urgency. 

Assistant coach Rachel Cornish, who was filling in for pregnant head coach Marissa Morah, delivered a message of resilience during the intermission.

“I wanted them to play relentless volleyball,” Cornish said. “That consists of going after everything and sacrificing our bodies.”

Cornish also said she tried to channel Morah’s energy throughout the game.

“I’ve been working with Coach Morah for three years now, so I have an idea of the intensity she has,” Cornish said. “We [the coaching staff] try to match that and keep something familiar for our kids.”

On the other bench, Spartans coach Dan Chen also reminded his team not to lose focus and to continue to play hard.

“We can’t let them back in the game,” Chen told his team before the set. “We have to keep pushing and make sure we don’t let this go to another set.”

The third set was the closest of the night, consisting of a back-and-forth battle that came down to the wire. 

An early volley resulted in eruptions from both crowds, as players on both sides dove and scrambled to keep the point alive. 

Momentum continued to swing, with Scottsdale Prep’s Morgan Everton spiking the ball dead center to tie the match at 18. 

Allie Brooks answered an exchange of points with an ace, allowing the Mustangs to once again tie the match at 20.

After a defensive miscue for the Mustangs, Scottsdale Prep barely edged out a third-set victory.

Several members of the Spartans credited this victory to successful weekend tournament play. In the tournament, the Spartans finished 5-1, losing the first match but winning five straight.

Ryken said the tournament allowed the team to finally feel like a unit, and carried that into Monday’s match.

“We really clicked,” Ryken said. “We finally found our connection on and off the court, and I think that’s what we’ve been looking for the whole season.”

In terms of play style, Chen said he liked what he saw over the weekend.

 

“We had a really good tournament,” Chen said. “I knew going into this match, as long as we played our style of game, that we could hang with anybody.” 

 

Both teams played their next games on Wednesday. Scottsdale Prep went on the road and beat Heritage Academy 3-0, marking its fifth sweep during its six-game win streak. As for Rancho Solano Prep, the Mustangs lost 3-0 to top-seeded Scottsdale Christian Academy.