Brooklyn Zevenbergen is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication student assigned to cover Notre Dame Prep High School for AZPreps365.com.

PHOENIX — The Notre Dame Prep Saints knew they had their hands full when facing the nationally ranked Xavier College Prep Gators on Wednesday night.

Notre Dame Prep entered the match with an 11-2 record and a No. 4 ranking in 5A, but Xavier, being ranked No. 2 in Arizona and No. 5 nationally, proved why they are elite. Despite moments of momentum, Notre Dame Prep could not overcome Xavier’s height, pace and offensive attacks.

The Saints tried to keep up, but the Gators swept them 25-12, 25-16, 25-10.

“We knew that they were going to apply pressure, and they did,” NDP head coach Ali Svorinic said. “But having Xavier on our schedule is a big deal for us because it forces us to manage that pressure and get better. Playing one of the best teams in the country, really helps us down the road.”

The opening set began competitively, with NDP putting out a 3-1 lead. Xavier quickly adjusted, applying pressure using attacks and pulling ahead. The Gators closed the set with a kill after a dominant run.

In the second set, the Saints again started strong with a run that put NDP up 4-2. The energy from the fans was present, but Xavier’s offensive game seemed to be taking a toll on the Saints' confidence. NDP called timeouts when trailing 13-8 and 21-14, but the Gators closed out the set.

“I feel like our team came in with a lot of energy, and we knew it was going to be a tough match,” senior middle hitter Kylee Kosier said. “We just wanted to support each other and still go out and compete.”

The third set followed a similar pattern with an early Saints lead, followed by Xavier’s runs that pulled the match out of reach. NDP called a timeout to reconvene when the score was 11-5, but Xavier’s size at the net and balanced attack closed the match 25-10.

“I would say the biggest challenge was their block,” junior outside hitter Elizabeth Hackleman said. “We’re obviously a shorter team, so we had to find ways to work around it and try some different things we hadn’t before.”

Svorinic said her team responded well to adjustments, including switching from a 6-2 to a modified 5-1 offense in an effort to better cover the floor and create more chances of scoring.

“We wanted to make their middles track a little bit more and add an active setter jump,” Svorinic said. “When we did that, we had some success.”

Despite the sweep, NDP players said the match helped them prepare for upcoming games, including a weekend tournament and rivalry matchups the following week.

“I think seeing a bigger team helped us prepare mentally and physically,” Hackleman said. “Even though it didn’t go our way, we can use that momentum going into our games this weekend.”

“I think we did good at not just completely giving up because we knew we were playing a nationally ranked team,” Kosier said. “We still put up a fight.”

While the Saints left with a loss, the experience against one of the nation’s best proves valuable as they approach the postseason.