Sedona Triumphs Over Phoenix Christian 3-1 in Unforgettable Senior Night Clash

The Sedona Red Rock High School Volleyball team faced off against the Phoenix Christian Cougars on October 30, marking both Senior Night and the conclusion of their season.

In the first set, the Scorpions established an early 4-2 lead, bolstered by junior Addie Moore’s two kills and an ace from senior Katrina Le. Despite their strong start, Sedona struggled to assert dominance, resulting in a tied score at 9-9 as both teams exchanged points.

However, a kill from senior Sierra Williams combined with a junior Kelley Arias ace propelled Sedona to a 15-12 lead. Their commanding play continued, extending the score to 18-13, prompting a Cougar timeout. The Cougars managed to score first post-timeout, but a solid serve by Moore followed by a Williams kill pushed the Scorpions to a commanding 22-14 advantage.

As momentum shifted, the Cougars closed the gap to 23-18, prompting a Sedona timeout. This strategy paid off, allowing Sedona to secure a 25-18 win in the first set. “We were in the right position all the time, and we did not have as many unforced errors,” Coach John Parks commented on the team’s performance.

The second set began with another ace from Williams, but the Cougars surged ahead to lead 7-6. After a brief back-and-forth, an error by Phoenix opened the door for Sedona. Moore’s spike and a subsequent ace from senior Amy Brefeld swung the momentum back to Sedona, leading 11-10.

The Scorpions faltered briefly, trailing 18-15 before Parks called for a regrouping timeout. Post-timeout, Sedona rallied, with Moore delivering three consecutive kills and Williams adding two aces. They surged ahead to lead 22-15 before the Cougars made a late push, narrowing the score to 22-20. Nevertheless, Sedona clinched the second set at 25-21.

“In the second set, we had too many unforced errors… but we managed to close it out in the end,” Parks reflected.

The third set started poorly for Sedona, falling behind 2-0. However, the Scorpions quickly regained composure, taking a narrow 4-3 lead. Unfortunately, the Cougars dominated thereafter, using a four-point run to go ahead 8-4. Although Sedona closed to within a point at 17-16, they ultimately lost the set 25-17.

“It’s just unforced errors and not consistency,” Parks lamented. “We lost six matches this year in five sets due to lack of detail.”

The fourth set began slowly for Sedona, trailing 7-3 early. A critical timeout from Parks refocused the team. A kill from Williams ignited a surge, but the Cougars quickly countered, pulling ahead 12-5. Two consecutive errors from Phoenix and aces from junior Arias brought the Scorpions within two points at 12-10.

The following rallies saw both teams trading points. As the score reached 20-16 in favor of the Cougars, it seemed hopeless for Sedona. However, Williams led a comeback, scoring kills and narrowing the lead. An ace from Le tied the set at 22-22, leading to a tense finish.

After trading points and reaching a 24-24 stalemate, Moore and Williams delivered back-to-back aces, clinching the set 26-24 and winning the match three sets to one.

“The team worked harder than any team I ever had. They faced challenges but never lacked effort,” Parks stated. Despite their size disadvantage, the Scorpions demonstrated resilience throughout the season.