The wait is finally over for Kate MacDonald. 

While Ironwood Ridge’s Kallie George and Marcella Landers made No. 1 Gilbert Christian wait for its moment. 

Gilbert Christian and MacDonald and Xavier Prep partner Vivian Hickman left Casteel High Thursday with exactly what they came for: a state championship. In her third attempt for a pairs crown with a different partner, MacDonald triumphed. 

She and Hickman defeated Highland’s Taiah Campbell and Kendyl Maxwell 21-18, 22-20 to claim the Division I crown. Meanwhile, Gilbert Christian’s Alex Heyn and Lillie Duitsman were pushed to the limit but outlasted Ironwood Ridge, 21-14, 18-21, 15-13, to defend their Division II title. 

“It’s just like the best feeling,” MacDonald said. "I’ve been envisioning this, and wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else. (Hickman) is the best partner. She just smiles and is my best friend off the court. She is so fun. It’s not like a super serious, super stressful game. It’s just fun with her.”

Despite falling just short in the previous two finals, MacDonald capped her career as the most decorated player in Xavier beach history. 

She heads to Boise State holding the school records for total career victories and wins at No. 1 for Xavier.  
“Kate is the standard-bearer for our program,” 36-year volleyball coach Tim McHale said. "She sets the tone, and it’s just not about her. She cares about every single person in our program and that’s the special thing. She was the kid waiting her freshman year for her turn, and then she got called.”

Vivian Hickman, an indoor champ with Xavier in the fall, helped Kate MacDonald finally finish first. (Jose Garcia photo/AZPreps365)Hickman, as a freshman, played on Xavier’s No. 1 team. 

The talented senior then took the next two beach years off to focus on indoor volleyball, resulting in a commitment to UCLA. 

Xavier Prep appeared to be cruising in the second set after a block and two kills by MacDonald pushed their lead to a match-high eight points (13-5). But 6th seeded Highland didn’t back down. 

The Hawks, fresh off two big upsets, showed the same grit they had displayed all tournament. Taiah Campbell and Kendyl Maxwell mounted a 6-0 run to pull within two points of a tie in the second set. 

Highland’s Taiah Campbell and Kendyl Maxwell made a surprising run to the Division I final. (Jose Garcia photo/AZPreps365)Highland eventually took an 18-17 lead and fended off two championship points while trailing 20-18. However, Xavier finally put away the Hawks after a service and hitting error by Highland. 

“We just stayed steady and really leaned on each other,” Hickman said. “We are super aggressive and play well together.”

As the D-I pairs medals were secured, an intriguing battle was brewing on the east end of Casteel's beach facility in the D-II title bout. 

Ironwood Ridge sophomore Kallie George and freshman Marcella Landers had Gilbert Christian’s senior stars on the ropes. Duitsman, a GCU commit, and the USC-bound Heyn entered the D-II tournament as the heavy favorite. 

But the No. 6 seed in D-II came to play. Down a game, the 5-7 Landers blocked the much taller Heyn to put Ironwood Ridge up 20-17 in the second set.

Landers eventually ended the game with a shot down the line that Gilbert Christian couldn’t return. That was the first and only set that Duitsman and Heyn dropped this season in 20 matches.

Ironwood Ridge’s Marcella Landers and Kallie George will return next year for another shot at the title. (Jose Garcia/AZpreps365) “In the second set the pressure came out and got me a little frazzled,” Duitsman said. "But I love pressure. And the third set was just so much fun.”

Trailing 12-11 in the deciding game, back-to-back aces from George put Ironwood Ridge just two points away from a major upset. However, the champs responded: Duitsman then went over on two for a point, Heyn followed with a clutch ace, and Duitsman sealed the deal with a far corner shot to complete Gilbert Christian’s greatest beach pair run to date. 

“(Ironwood Ridge) was getting everything up,” Heyn said. "They were shooting around us. We have a pretty big block, so the fact that they were able to get around it was super impressive. But I’m super proud of us because we were able to adjust and just power through.”

Heyn and Duitsman, the first pair to win beach titles for Gilbert Christian, finished their run as partners with a career 45-4 record.  

“It was just a matter of going back to knowing what you know what to do and were able to pull it off,” Gilbert Christian coach Bill Tennison said. “Get a good pass. Get a good set. And then find sand. As long as you can find sand, you are good.”