Tre Heard is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mesquite High School for AZPreps365.com.

SCOTTSDALE -- In a high-intensity match, the Mesquite Wildcats completed a stunning comeback Wednesday night, erasing a 0-2 deficit to defeat the Saguaro Sabercats in five sets, 21-25, 17-25, 25-17, 25-15, 15-12, in a pivotal region matchup. 

The deciding fifth set featured back-and-forth rallies, but Mesquite saved its best for last. Down 9-12, the Wildcats clutched up a 6-0 run, capped by back-to-back kills from Samaya Elliott to seal the comeback.

“I felt like we had a hard first two sets and I really wanted to come out for my team,” Elliott said. “My team was telling me to swing and my coaches had so much faith in me, so I was swinging it all out for them. That was just the greatest motivation, they’re literally like my sisters, so them motivating me is what helped us win the game.”

The Wildcats leaned on a balanced attack and relentless energy from their bench to claw back into the match after Saguaro appeared to be in complete control early. The Sabercats rolled through the first two sets behind the dominant play of junior outside hitter Nylah Bibby, a University of Arizona commit, and freshman outside hitter Sloan Kribel. 

Bibby tallied a match-high 29 kills to go with four aces, while Kribel added 12 kills and two aces. Their firepower helped Saguaro surge ahead 25-21 and 25-17 to open the night, putting Mesquite on the brink of defeat.

“We started off strong, two sets to zero,” Saguaro coach Jherra Ricks said. “We’re a young team and most people would look at this year as a rebuild, but I don’t look at it that way. I am very excited for what we are capable of and I’m very proud of how we showed tonight.” 

Led by seniors Caprice Charlie and Meredith Allen in the middle, and outside hitters Samaya Elliott, Kate Barsetti and Johnna Smith, the Wildcats found their rhythm in the third set.

Five different players recorded at least seven kills in the match, a testament to the team’s depth.

A pair of 3-0 runs and a 5-0 stretch fueled by Elliott’s six-kill set sparked Mesquite to a 25-17 win in the third, flipping momentum back toward the Wildcats. 

The fourth set was all Mesquite. Senior Cami White delivered three of her match-high five aces during an 8-0 run, while Barsetti and Smith chipped in three kills apiece. The Wildcats’ 25-15 win evened the match at two sets apiece and had their bench in a frenzy. 

“I think the bench is like your seventh person out there, making calls, cheering them on, and giving them that confidence,” Mesquite coach Monroe Olsen said. “That’s what helped us in those tough moments to continue to make plays. They were all just great teammates to each other and it was a team win. They all wanted it for each other and they all played their best volleyball.”

For Saguaro, the loss stung after such a promising start, but the Sabercats captain remained positive about their performance and future. 

“I think it was a motivational game for us,” Bibby said. “I think we played really good tonight, but we just didn’t finish it strong like we wanted to.” 

In the end, it was Mesquite’s depth, resilience and energy that made the difference. The Wildcats’ bench stayed loud from start to finish, pushing their teammates through each rally. They secured a crucial region victory and proved their ability to overcome adversity.

Mesquite (14-2, 1-0) is traveling to play in the Nike Tournament of Champions against El Camino (18-5, 2-0) on Friday at 11 a.m. 

Saguaro (6-7, 1-1) will travel to Mesquite (14-2, 1-0) on Monday at 6 p.m.