Zane Cox is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Sunrise Mountain for AZPreps365.com

PEORIA, Ariz. — Sunrise Mountain won its fifth straight game at Centennial High School Oct. 19, as the playoff push continues. 

After starting the season slowly, the Mustangs (17-16, 3-2 Northwest Valley Region) have won their fifth in a row, with a crucial win in region play. 

“The momentum is phenomenal,” head coach Brandi Jans said. “We needed this win with a very big week ahead of us.” 

The Mustangs sit in third place in the Northwest Valley Region, trailing Ironwood High School and Willow Canyon. Both teams will travel to Sunrise Mountain next week with the region title on the line.

Sunrise Mountain controlled the game against Centennial (15-15, 1-5 Northwest Valley Region) from start to finish. The Mustangs cleaned up the Coyotes, 3-0. 

Senior Alexandria Muller set the tone early, helping the Mustangs start hot. After Muller had five early kills, they never looked back, winning the first set 25-14. 

“Alexandria is super consistent with everything that she does, and she really betters the next ball,” Jans said. 

Muller led the game in kills with 12. 

“I really struggled hitting back row earlier in the season,” Muller said. “I have worked a lot on it in practice, and I think being able to hit back row is a huge advantage for the team and me.” 

Muller wasn’t the only Mustang dominating offensively in the first set: senior Ari Marza also had several big, thunderous kills to help the Mustangs win set one, 25-14. 

The defense wasn’t as necessary in set one as much as it was in set two for the Mustangs. 

The Coyotes battled back more in set two, just for senior libero Hailey Brueggeman to shut down the Coyotes' attack. 

“She keeps the ball off the floor for us and is huge to our defense,” Jans said. 

Brueggeman finished the game with 13 digs. It's her eighth game in a row with 10-plus digs. 

“I think I just kept it consistent, and I think I covered the donut pretty well tonight,” Brueggeman said. 

Jans also credited the Mustangs' win with “consistency” and winning long rallies. 

After a constant lead and little retaliation from the Coyotes, the Mustangs controlled the whole set before winning 25-18. 

The Coyotes were getting crushed all night long with big front row Mustangs' swings, and rarely had answers. 

The third set proved to be the most competitive. Gabrielle Kresl led the Coyotes in kills with eight, and had two early in the third set to tie the set up at nine apiece. The two early kills led to a Sunrise Mountain timeout. 

It was the only time that Centennial forced Jans and Sunrise Mountain to call a timeout. After that timeout, Muller went right back to work with two aces and two kills. 

Muller finished with 10 digs as well, one including one with Brueggeman, who had an incredible back-to-back dig to save a point, and in the end, the Mustangs won the longest rally of the night, which brought the energy to an all-time high for the Mustangs. 

Brueggeman finished the game with two aces to seal the third set, 25-20, and a clean sweep of the region foe. 

The Mustangs went on to beat Raymond S. Kellis High School in three sets on Oc. 21, and will host two huge Northwest Valley regional games next week: Ironwood and Willow Canyon. 

If the Mustangs can win both games next week and an Ironwood loss to Willow Canyon on Thursday, the Mustangs would win the region title for the third straight year. 

“With three huge games next week, we are at a peak at the right time here towards the end,” Jans said.