Desert Vista volleyball notches 12th 3-0 sweep

October 15, 2014 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


When it comes to power-ranking matches in 2014, Desert Vista takes rather than gives. So it has given nothing.

The Thunder played its 12th power-ranking match Wednesday night and the result was the same as the previous 11 -- a 3-0 sweep of host Gilbert in a Division I volleyball match at Gilbert High.

"This was fun," Desert Vista coach Molly West said. "Gilbert played us tough. It was the best level of play we've been in so far. They defensed us tough, served us tough. We're getting close to the end, and you need to be playing at a high level."

Desert Vista did play at a high level virtually all night. Gilbert -- nearly all night. The brief lapses by the Tigers combined with Desert Vista making Gilbert sweat for everything produced the final score of 25-18, 25-15 and 25-23. Desert Vista improved to 26-2 overall, 12-0 power-ranking matches and 5-0 in its section. Gilbert fell to 27-10, 9-5 prn and 2-4 in its section

Desert Vista's strengths are many. They don't have a weakness. On the attack there's no one or two players to key on. That holds true match after match. Four Thunder players produced six to nine kills each in this one -- Jenna Tunnell with nine, Hailey Harward (seven) and Maggie Byrne-Quinn and Rachel Kramer (six each). Gilbert had to work hard forits kills with Makenna Martin and KT Lines notching seven each and Lauren Palmer adding six.

Gilbert hung with Desert Vista early in each set. In the opener the Tigers trailed 12-11, but made five errors the rest of the set to hamper and kind of rally. That was the story of the set.

"They make you earn everything," Gilbert coach Joe Hesse said. "I wasn't disappointed with how we played. The first set we had 10 errors and they had five. As talented as they are, you can't afford that."

Desert Vista ran away in the second set at about the same point in which it led in the first, leading 13-10. Libero Lexi Glover served eight successive points that included an ace, two kills by Tunnell and one by Byrne-Quinn.

Gilbert managed to lead the third set more than Desert Vista did. The Tigers biggest lead was 21-18 after back-to-back aces by Krystal Blair. Gilbert committed two hitting errors helping Desert Vista tie the set at 21. A kill by Gilbert's Martin and a Desert Vista hitting error made it 23-21 Gilbert putting a sweep in doubt. But Desert Vista's Kirstyn Sperry contribued a kill and shared a block to key 4-0 finish to the set and match.