The mark of a good team is often what they do in adverse situations. When things aren’t going particularly well, a group’s response is oftentimes a solid indicator of its potential.
So naturally, after the Sedona Red Rock High School volleyball team fell behind 7-1 in the third set of its 2A Central Region opener against Northland Prep Academy Tuesday night, it came right back with a 19-1 run — and made it look casual.
“[The third set] was so fun,” senior Emma Beattie said. “We started off slow obviously, but once we got our groove back in, we all got our energy back up. It was super fun to finish that match.”
The Scorpions took the third set to complete the sweep over the Spartans, 25-19, 25-18, 25-15. The third set put an exclamation point at the end of its first Region game of the season. In its four non-tournament games of the season, Sedona has yet to drop a set.
“We’ve been getting so much better,” junior Bella Williams said. “It’s amazing how much we’ve gotten better within the last two months.”
Williams had the pleasure of serving during the majority of the 19-1 run. While she had service, the Scorpions earned 15 consecutive points for a stretch. She says she’s had trouble with her serve in the past, so she made it a priority for her junior season. The work has “paid off,” according to her coach.
“She was serving well tonight,” head coach John Parks said. “That’s something
she’s been working on, trying to move the ball around a little bit more, trying to have a lot more control and putting it where she wants.”
The team around her clearly locked in during the run. Everything — from blocking to setting to simply keeping the ball in play — was clicking at a high level.
“We’ve been communicating a lot better this year,” Williams said. “We have also been covering and working on covering our tips and blocks. We’ve had a really great time following the ball and watching if they’re going to tip or hit, so we’ve done a great job watching with our eyes.”
Their defensive anticipation particularly stuck out. The Scorpions allowed the Spartans to make their own mistakes. At times when the Scorpions clearly had the momentum, they exploited it. They forced the Spartans to return aggressive strikes and block high-velocity shots.
Beattie in particular played with aggresion. She hit the ball with aggression and energy, oftentimes creating mistakes and unforced errors on the Spartans’ side.
“When we have our energy up, the play of the game is so much better and so much higher,” she said. “We have the upper hand when we’re up like that.”
Parks attributes his team’s calm demeanor and focus to a “one play at a time” attitude. He stresses to the team that they should “play the point, not the scoreboard.” So even when the Spartans began to make a push toward the end, the Scorpions kept their calm.
“The girls are trying to win every single point,” he said. “They really work hard at it. It’s not easy sometimes for them but they really work hard trying to win the point.”
The region-opening victory gave the Scorpions an official 3-0 record to start the year. On Wednesday night, they went back to work. Sedona handed the North Valley Christian Lions another sweep in North Phoenix.
The Scorpions still have their work cut out for them. Tuesday night they’ll take a trip down the road to Camp Verde High School, where they’ll meet up with the Cowgirls for a rivalry match up, before returning home Thursday night for a date with North Pointe Prep.
