Savannah Reinke is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Cactus Shadows High School for AZPreps365.com

Cactus Shadows volleyball nearly completed a comeback Thursday night, rallying from a two-set deficit before falling to Arcadia 15-10 in the last set at home. 

The Titans (12-3, 12-3) defeated the Falcons (6-7, 8-11) in a five-set match, 25-17, 25-14, 20-25, 20-25, 15-10. Arcadia came into the 4A Desert Sky matchup ranked third in the region, with Cactus Shadows trailing in fifth after losing to the Titans in four sets earlier this season.

Following the team's Pink Out celebration Thursday night, a season split did not look likely as the Titans took control early.

Arcadia, ranked eighth in 4A, took the opening set 25-17 before following with a similar performance in the second. Senior outside hitter Riley Rooney led the Titans to an 8-0 run with three kills in the first four possessions. Rooney had 12 kills and four aces on the night. With a slight battle back from the Falcons to 14-18, it didn't last long as they fell again, 14-25.

The Falcons responded in the third set. 

Falcons senior outside hitter Audryana Cabrera ignited the match with four kills in the opening eight points. The Titans kept it close, but a string of errors kept them from bringing it back. Cabrera closed the set with a kill, giving the Falcons new life with a 25-20 win. 

“They are fighters,” Cactus Shadows coach Josh Daniels said. “We don’t have a lot of size. We did pull up some girls for size, but man, we are mighty.”

The momentum carried into the fourth set as neither team could create separation. Holding an 18-15 lead, the Falcons had one of the biggest runs of the night after junior outside hitter Makayla Bollwitt placed a kill nicely in the back-left corner. The Falcons won the set, 25-20, forcing a fifth set.

“They started playing as a team,” Arcadia coach Rylee Brown said. “They stopped worrying about the little mistakes, and they came together and finished.”

Arcadia took a stand in the fifth set, taking the first four points. Junior outside hitter Lauren Hackett sent a message with a kill to the right corner. She later added four kills and a block to help build a 7-1 lead. Cabrera answered with back-to-back kills to cut the lead to 7-4. She finished the match with 14 kills and three aces. Two of sophomore middle blocker Violett D'annibale's nine kills of the night followed, pushing the lead to 12-5, and the Titans eventually closed out the match with a 15-10 victory. 

“Sometimes they get in their head on that fifth set,” Daniels said. “We just have to start off stronger so we don’t get in those five sets.” 

Senior outside hitter Tessa Peters finished with nine kills and three aces while Hackett added six kills, two blocks and one ace.

“We need to figure out how to play as a team consistently and work even against the odds.” Brown said.

Daniels echoed that sentiment. 

“We just got to figure out how to close a game,” he said. “That's right now, where they got us.”

Despite the loss, coming back from a two-set deficit gives Daniels a positive outlook headed into the postseason. 

“This game is going to go down as a great game we played,” he said. “Two great teams going at it. I definitely think we could take them. There is no doubt about that at all.” 

Arcadia will travel to the Cactus Cobras (11-2, 12-5)  Oct. 26 at 6 p.m.

Cactus Shadows will host Bradshaw Mountain (3-12, 3-12) Oct. 23 at 6 p.m.