Jesenia Mackey-Tarango is an NAU School of Communication student assigned to cover high school volleyball for AZPreps365.com

FLAGSTAFF – The Flagstaff Eagles continued their undefeated season with a 5-0 shutout of North Valley Christian at Flagstaff Athletic Club-East on March 31.

In pair flight four, seniors Kaylee Wilson and Hannah Thom jumped to a 9-0 lead and took the first set 21-11. After a brief challenge from the Lions in the second set, Thom’s offense helped secure a 21-6 win and the match for Flagstaff.

The Eagles took flight, gaining a 9-0 lead before they couldn’t clear the ball, putting the Lions on the board 9-1.

Killeen and Thom were able to keep the lead despite a series of back-and-forth rallies, putting the score at 14-7.

Senior Peighton Killeen (13) celebrates after she scores a point during the section match against North Valley Christian at Flagstaff Athletic Club East, March 31. (Landon Johnson/AZPreps365) 

On the return from a serve from Thom, Wilson increased the lead to 18-8 with a hit. Wilson ended match one with a tip, 21-11.

In match two, NVC took an early lead in what started as a back-and-forth match. The lead did not last when the Lions kick-started a momentum change for the Eagles with a failed serve.

The Eagles’ offensive showing continued when Thom once again scored with a rolling tip, 19-6.

Senior Hannah Thom (14) sets the ball during the section match against North Valley Christian at Flagstaff Athletic Club East, March 31. (Landon Johnson/AZPreps365)

North Valley ended the game when they hit the ball out of play, winning Flagstaff the pair flight four 21-6.

Pair flight two saw Flagstaff freshman Anna Kranzow take the serve to start the match, which North Valley shanked out, 1-0.

Freshman Anna Kranzow (3) serves during the section match against North Valley Christian at Flagstaff Athletic Club East, March 31. (Landon Johnson/AZPreps365)Kranzow dominated the match, with senior Peighton Killeen shutting down all offensive efforts of the Lions, including a rollover tip from Killeen.

The reign of Kranzow came to an end when the ball hit the line on her eighth serve, getting NVC on the board, 7-1.

Killeen was able to roll the ball off the net again, 9-1, to kick off another run for the Eagles. After a set by Killeen, Kraznow dropped a hit to the Lions’ right front zone to put them at 20-5.

Kraznow ended match one of their flight with a tip, ending the match 21-5.

Head coach Beth Haglin (left) discusses tactics with freshman Anna Kranzow (3) before she serves in the section match against North Valley Christian at Flagstaff Athletic Club East, March 31. (Landon Johnson/AZPreps365)

Match two continued much like the first for this pair, as Killeen hit the ball into open sand, 1-0.

Killeen tipped the ball over to the Lions’ court, and on the return, Kraznow scored the point on the hit, 5-1.

Kraznow continued her offensive domination with a hit that rolled over the net to increase their lead 13-5.

Killeen had a series of serves that increased their lead to 20-6, only ending when the ball was shanked, 20-7.

With a hit that bounced off a Lions, Killeen won pair flight two for Flagstaff, 21-7.

After flights 4 and 2, pair flights 1 and 3 took the courts.

Pair 1 consisted of sophomore Harleigh Moseng and junior Brynn Hagerman. Moseng took the first serve, which, on the return, was misjudged, granting North Valley the first point, 1-0.

The Lions kept the lead on a back-and-forth exchange that ended with a misjudged hit from the Eagles, 3-2.

Flagstaff was unable to make up the lead, as a failed return off a tip put the score at 6-4.

North Valley served the ball into the net to kick-start a short Flagstaff run, putting the score at 12-5.

On a serve from North Valley, a short right hit from Moseng brought them to 12-6.

After a run from the Lions, the Eagles kicked off a back-and-forth match with a tip from Moseng that the Lions sent into the net, 17-8.

Despite the change in pace, the Lions brought the game to an end after a double by Hagerman, 21-9.

Moseng and Hagerman knew they had to shift the momentum going into the second set.

“I just knew me and Brynn had to have more fun, because usually we’re really energetic, and the first game was very flat,” Moseng said. “So I knew going into that we just had to pump up the energy, and it kind of got in their heads a little too.”

Set two opened with a serve from Hagerman that went into the net, kick-starting a Lions run, 1-0.

Hagerman started to close the gap when her hit went right over a Lions block, 5-2.

A hard hit from Hagerman landed in court, bringing the score to 12-9.

Hagerman tied the set with a hit that landed on line after a setup from Moseng, 13-13

After a shank by the Lions, the Eagles took the lead at 18-17.

Moseng blocked a hit from North Valley, increasing the lead by two, 19-17.

With a hit that landed just before the line, Moseng won the Eagles the set, to send them to a third, 21-19.

To start the third set, the Lions took the serve, but it was Moseng who started an Eagles hot streak with a hit, 1-0.

North Valley got on the board after Moseng hit the ball out 3-1. Yet, the Lions were unable to capitalize on this opportunity as their serve was short, 4-1.

A Lions shank brought the Eagles to match point, 14-4.

With a hit out from North Valley, Hagerman and Moseng came out on top 15-4.

Junior Brynn Hagerman (1) celebrates after she won her match during the section match against North Valley Christian at Flagstaff Athletic Club East, March 31. (Landon Johnson/AZPreps365)

Pair 3 was the junior pair of McKenlee Lund and Nidaya Nez.

North Valley served first, but they did not take the first point. Nez bumped the ball over to Lund, who set it back to Nez for the tip, which rolled over the net and hit the line, 1-0.

The Eagles raised the deficit to 8-0 with Nez getting the ball over the net deep into the left corner.

North Valley was able to score with the ball rolling over the net to drop to the front of Flagstaff’s side, 8-1.

Lund, on the return, hit the ball into the Lions’ den to put the game at 10-1.

Junior McKenlee Lund (6) spikes the ball during the section match against North Valley Christian at Flagstaff Athletic Club East, March 31. (Landon Johnson/AZPreps365)

The Lions started to claw their way back as they went on a six-point tear that only ended when Lund was able to get a hit that dropped to open court, 15-7.

Nez got the fake out on her hit when North Valley called it short, only for it to go long, 18-8.

Nez’s fake out sent the Eagles soaring for the rest of match one. As with a tip, she put away the winning point, 21-9.

Set two started with Nez taking the serve and a rally ending with Lund sending the ball into the net, 1-0.

What appeared to be a back-and-forth set saw the Eagles pull ahead after Lund got the ball to Nez, who bumped the ball over, 4-2.

Lund hit the ball right to the Lions, but their return went wide, leaving the score 10-4.

Flagstaff went to match point after Lund passed the ball to Nez, who got it over, 20-8.

Lunds served the ball in the final rally and was also the one to end it with a hit over which was returned into the net, 21-8.

With the rain coming down harder, pair flight 5 ended before it even began, bringing the game to 5-0 to continue the Eagles’ undefeated season.

They next play the Northwest Christian Crusaders on April 7 at the Flagstaff Athletic Club-East.

“I think it’ll be a good match, and a toss-up to who wins,” said head coach Beth Haglin. “I think we’re very evenly matched.”