Highland and Mesa High ultimately ended with the same finish in the 2018 girls volleyball season. When they opened the 2018 season, Highland swept Mesa, 3-0. 

Both advanced to the 6A state tournament and bowed out in the first round. Mesa won its six-team region (East Valley) and was the No. 7 seed at state. Highland finished last in its six-team region (Central) and still managed to notch the 14th seed. 

Fast-forward to Tuesday night and the 2019 lid-lifter for both schools. Highland prevailed, 3-1.  The scores were 25-21, 25-16, 21-25 and 25-14.

Will the teams fortunes be the same again? There's a bit of a different feel for both teams -  Highland with nearly all its pieces back; Mesa with one large hole to fill and a couple young players trying to plug it as best they can.

Highland coach Jordan Neal is as high on this team as any he's coached in his four years. The Hawks' showed for the most part what Neal has seen leading up to the season in controlling the match except for the final seven points of the third set.

"We didn't play perfect, but in the tough moments we played well enough," Neal said. "I saw a lot I liked."

Highland's defense was solid for the most part, although there were some difficult stretches with some good serving by Mesa, particularly late in the third set when Mesa rallied to play another.

On the attack for Highland it was a trio of players making the night difficult for Mesa. Senior opposite Alayna Roberts enjoyed her best stretch in the first two sets and settled for 13 kills. Junior outside hitter Samia Bhakta was good throughout. Bhakta concluded with a flourish netting seven kills in the fourth set to finish with a match high 19.

Senior middle blocker Anna Toolson seemed to take offense to Mesa forcing a fourth set. She bullied the first two kills and points of the fourth set sparking Highland to 5-1 lead that grew to as much as 22-9 late. Toolson contributed seven kills for the match. Setter Natalie Palmer was busy feeding hitters with 42 assists. Defensively Kennedy Williams had 21 digs and libero Abby Peterson added 15 digs.

For Mesa it was the debut of the roster sans four-year standout Annie Hatch as the Jackrabbits try to defend and win a third consecutive region title. Mesa coach Amy Strawn returned most of last year's team although the loss of Annie Hatch and her 700-plus kills is likely an unfillable void. 

Mesa stayed close enough to have a shot at taking the first set, but the Jackrabbits got behind by more as the sets progressed. Strawn took the entire intermission between the second and third set to build another rotation.

"I felt I had to try something different," Strawn said. "We weren't making any headway so I thought let's change. Their defense against was so good. It was nice to come back in the third set and live for another. I thought we served aggressively, and that helped."

Mesa was led on the attack by sophomore outside Quincy Cummard and freshman outside Jazlyn Jackson with six kills each. Both teams are idle Wednesday and resume play Thursday with Mesa hosting Perry and Highland traveling to Hamilton.