Milexa Cardona  is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover West Point HIgh School for AZPreps365.com

The West Point girls volleyball team secured its third consecutive win Thursday night, sweeping Shadow Ridge at home, 25-17, 25-22, 25-20. 

The Dragons overpowered Shadow Ridge offensively with 33 kills compared to the Stallions’ 26 kills. 

“We practiced it a lot this week,” West Point coach Monique Jones said. “I think our game before we were a little bit off in our hitting so we worked on having our setters and our hitters on the same page.” 

In the first set, Shadow Ridge coach Troy Sherman called a timeout at 13-17 as the Stallions struggled to get a defensive stop, allowing West Point to earn seven kills in the first half. 

“We’ve had illness just sweep through our team,” Sherman said. “What you saw was them settling into the changes that we had to make and that we really haven't used before.”

Despite the unexpected adjustments in the lineup, the Stallions  began to find their footing after losing the first set, 17-25.

In set two, both teams had a strong offensive performance, earning 10 kills apiece. 

West Point held Shadow Ridge at a five-point deficit for the majority of the set until the Stallions took advantage of a Dragon service error by going on a three-point run. 

Jones called her first timeout of the match at 22-19. 

“We were in a rotation for three or four points, our passing was off and we lacked communication,” Jones said. “You could kind of see it in our girls. They got a little nervous and that’s when I called a timeout.”

The Dragons side-out after the timeout with a kill from senior outside hitter Melena'a Moala, who totalled 13 kills, two blocks and four aces.

Moala spoke about the role her confidence plays in her performance.

 “Having a positive vibe brings a lot to the team,” Moala said. “Having a strong mentality so that if I make a mistake I can shake back from it and that brings the team up.”

Moala ended the second set with an ace, 25-22. 

West Point held the lead throughout the third set until Shadow Ridge went on a five-point run, tying the set at 20-20. 

Jones called a timeout and once again her team came out of the huddle with urgency as they quickly side-out with a kill from senior setter Izabel Cabrera. 

Although Cabrera’s job as a setter is to organize the offense, she has been an offensive weapon for the Dragons as a right side when she rotates to the front row. 

 “I’ve been playing setter and right side for my club team for about two years so I'm pretty comfortable with it,” Cabrera said.

Cabrera ended the night with eight kills and three aces. 

The Dragons went on a five-point run ending set three, 25-20. 

 “I thought the girls did a great job,”  Sherman said. “It was too little too late in both sets once we got comfortable in competition. I just wish it would have happened a little earlier.”

Part of the Dragons’ success this season comes from Jones’ strategy in practice. 

“It starts with practice,” Jones said. “You have to put them in high-pressure situations in practice so when they go to the game they feel comfortable in that pressure.” 

The Dragons will play at the Rise N’ Roar Tournament on Oct 11 at Millennium High School. They will face Centennial (10 a.m.), Millennium (11 a.m.) and Cactus (1 p.m.)

Shadow Ridge will play at Valley Vista on Monday at 6 p.m.