Kamaron Holloway is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication student assigned to cover Scottsdale Christian Academy for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX — On the wings of a dominant 26-kill showcase from senior outside hitter Selah Wadsworth, Scottsdale Christian willed the match to five sets, soaring past North Valley Christian for the 2A state title on Saturday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Exactly 364 days after finishing as runners-up in last year’s championship, the Eagles completed their redemption tour through sheer determination and veteran leadership, defeating the Lions in five sets: 19–25, 25–15, 19–25, 25–18, 15–7.

“What a crazy match. I must give credit to North Valley; they jumped on us right away,” SCA coach Julie Dickerson said.

From the first serve of the game, the Lions showed why they were playing for a state championship. With a balanced offensive performance and multiple runs, they easily won the first set.

“We haven’t dropped a set to anyone in 2A yet, so kudos to North Valley,” Dickerson said. “They play great, but I could not be more proud of our girls and how they rebounded.”

That’s exactly what the Eagles did. After a sluggish start, Scottsdale Christian and North Valley traded points early in the second set -- until the Eagles rattled off a decisive seven-point run to seize the momentum and even the match.

However, North Valley wasn’t done fighting. The Lions answered right back with a seven-point run of their own early in the third set, flipping the momentum once again, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

Ultimately, it was the mighty arm of Wadsworth echoing through the arena with every swing that pushed the Eagles to victory in the final two sets. She established herself early and often, filling up the stat sheet as the clear offensive force of the night.

“We knew they understood that we ride Kaya [Olafson], so the plan was to take advantage of that when we could, but we were going to need everyone,” Dickerson said.

“But my prayer today was that Selah would have the game of her life. If I could’ve given that win to anyone, I wanted it to be through Selah -- and she rose to the challenge just like we knew she could.”

Wadsworth flooded the stat books with 26 kills, 14 digs and five aces, earning MVP honors.

“I just knew last year we fell short, and I wanted to put in all my effort to help my team win,” Wadsworth said. “We’ve been working so hard this year, so to finally win it… It's so surreal, and I thank God that we got here.”

Other key players for the Eagles included junior outside hitter Kaya Olafson, who finished with 15 kills, 24 digs and two blocks.

“My hitting wasn’t the best today, so I knew I could show up in the back row,” Olafson said. “I wanted to show up for the seniors and Selah. I couldn’t let their last game be awful -- I just wanted to play my heart out for them.”

The Eagles received meaningful contributions from their entire rotation. Sophomore outside hitter Tilly Gardner recorded nine kills and three blocks, while sophomore middle hitter Sophie Weller added seven kills and four blocks.

In contrast, sophomore setter Megan Davidson added six service aces and 14 digs. Freshman middle hitter Shea Perkins chipped in with three kills and a dig.

But the leadership from the senior class was truly on display beyond Wadsworth’s standout night. Senior libero Lucy Dickerson anchored the defense with 18 digs and four assists. Senior defensive specialist Kaylee Howell contributed two aces and eight digs, and fellow senior setter Christina Keller rounded out the quartet with a kill and a dig of her own.

“A lot of it comes down to experience, and last year we had no prior championship experience,” Lucy Dickerson said. “That was hard on us, so this year we did have that experience and edge to take it on.”

As the final set came to a close and the championship was within reach, the seniors stood on the brink of immortality.

“It was all of our last games, and we just put it all out there,” Keller said. “We all prayed before the fifth set, and that was really emotional, but it helped us keep our heads and gave us the strength to finish the game."

“We had the mindset of first to five, first to 10, then first to 15,” Howell said. “We carried the momentum from the previous set, and that helped us stay on top of them. We picked it up at the end and came through with the win.”

Though the Lions fell short, several players made substantial contributions. Senior outside hitter Madison Sherby recorded 10 kills and 15 digs while her fellow senior outside hitter Gabby Rice added 10 kills, eight digs, two aces and a block.

Sophomore middle blocker Braelynn Johnson added eight kills, one dig, and two blocks, while junior outside hitter Charis Robinson contributed eight kills, three digs and a block.

Lions coach Cory Romine was extremely proud of the way his girls fought the entire season.

“Where we came from—this team hasn’t always been a powerhouse. Every year, there are kids I literally taught how to play volleyball,” Romine said. “Seeing them grow into seniors and reflecting on the journey is what I’m most proud of. Winning is amazing, but knowing we’ve accomplished things we couldn’t have imagined four years ago. That’s what really matters.”

As the Eagles are forever etched in the history books as the 2A state champions, Dickerson and her team’s final celebration of their storybook season will conclude with a trip to one magical place: Disneyland.