Salpointe picked the perfect time to start playing its best volleyball.

The Lancers elevated their level of play after their April 10 five set region setback to Mica Mountain. Since then, they’ve dropped just three sets in 12 matches.

Salpointe’s latest win was its biggest to date, a 25-11, 20-25, 25-18, 25-17 triumph over No. 1 seed Deer Valley in the 4A state quarterfinals. The 28-8 Lancers didn’t look anything like an 8th seed.

They got off to strong starts in each set, and the Lancers’ blockers neutralized Deer Valley’s blasters, outside hitters Casian Zirbo and Theo Holsinger. Salpointe sophomore setter Antony Owens (39 assists) meanwhile utilized all of his weapons at his disposal.

Early in the match, his left pin hitters kept producing. But Owens made sure to also feed his middles and opposites consistently.

“It was a full team effort,” Salpointe coach Stephen Huff said. “I think every single person, what we’ve been expecting from them in practice and games, they exceeded those expectations.”

Getting junior libero Reyes Gardner-Figueroa (eight digs) back from injury also shored up Salpointe’s defense.

“It came down to our energy,” Gardner-Figueroa said. “We were the underdogs, and they were thinking that it was going to be an easy match. We just came in, prayed and just played our game.”

Game 1 set the tone, when Salpointe’s Owens, Lehi Rocha (five blocks) and Shane Palmer had four of the team’s nine blocks.

But Deer Valley (26-9), despite trailing 10-3 in the Game 2, didn’t fade away. The tide started to turn after a Dillon Buss solo block and tip for points.

Vincent Scafidi was effective for Deer Valley on the right side early in the match. But the second game was the last victory for the senior dominated Deer Valley team this season.

“That was a big point of emphasis this year coming from last year, we have to build that mental toughness,” Deer Valley coach Mitchell Toone said. “You saw it in that second set when they came back after getting blown out. The mental toughness and the way to rebound was there.”

In the third game, Salpointe’s blocking again allowed it to gain control.

A Rocha block, which looked more like a dunk, was followed by another Salpointe block, leading Deer Valley to call timeout while trailing 19-14. Salpointe’s Dawson Leber (match high 15 kills) ended the game with a couple of daggers.

Leber is one of four Salpointe players who stand 6-feet-5 or taller.

“(Salpointe) doesn’t have a ton of experience, but they have a lot of the size and discipline that (Huff) has put in,” Toone said. “They have competed against the top teams all year long, and they’ve done well despite losing.

“I’d go to battle with my group any day of the week. Unfortunately today, it wasn’t our day.”

One of those battle-tested seniors, Heath McPherson, became the first setter at Deer Valley to reach 1,000 assists in a season and led the state in that category this year.

In Thursday’s semifinals, Salpointe will travel to Prescott with a berth in Saturday’s final at stake.