The Gregory School improved to 8-4 on the year after the Hawks beat Palo Verde 3-0 Thursday night at home. The two programs might meet again this Saturday during bracket play of the “The Small(er) Schools Volleyball Tourney” hosted by the Hawks starting Friday morning.

Eight 1A, 2A and 3A programs are set to compete in the tournament with Palo Verde (0-7) competing in the 3A Conference and The Gregory School playing in the 1A level.

“We have eight teams and we did it because we wanted to have an event at our school and we needed something big,” Gregory School head coach and athletic director Angela Earnhart said. “Our homecoming is usually in the fall, and it's moved to the winter, so we're creating something for the kids rally around and get excited about.”

The Hawks took the first set over Palo Verde 25-17 after ending the set on a 10-3 run and the second set was won 25-14 in similar fashion with the Hawks on a 10-1 run. The Titans proved difficult to put away with the team battling back from a 19-12 deficit in the third set to cut the lead down to 22-19 but Zoe Morgan recoded two straight aces to help take the deciding set 25-19.

Inez Morales and London Brown led the Titans at the net and Kayden Rey distributed the ball well but the Hawks were too big at the net with Emerson Myers recording an unofficial 12 kills to go along with the play of Morgan and Alexie Danna. Freshman Eva Horowitz led the way with 11 assists.

“I feel like our program will continue to kind of thrive but we will lose our two very good hitters in Alexie Danna and Emerson Myers,” Earnhart added. “They're graduating so that's going to leave a little hole for us, and we have some work to do in the off season, but the team has been super positive.”

Palo Verde will take on Andrada Polytechnic (2-2) Friday morning and The Gregory School will paly St. Augustine (2-5) to start things off. Each of the eight teams will play three pool games on Friday.

Kayden Rey/Andy Morales/AZPreps365

 

THE GREGORY SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Andrada Polytechnic vs. Palo Verde, 10 a.m.

St. Augustine vs. Gregory School, 10 a.m.

Amphitheater vs. ALA - Sierra Vista, 11 a.m.

Valley Union vs. Desert Christian, 11 a.m.

Desert Christian vs. Andrada Polytechnic, noon

ALA - Sierra Vista vs. St. Augustine, noon

Gregory School vs. Amphitheater, 1 p.m.

Palo Verde vs. Valley Union, 1 p.m.

St. Augustine vs. Amphitheater, 2 p.m.

Andrada Polytechnic vs. Valley Union, 2 p.m.

Gregory School vs. ALA - Sierra Vista, 3 p.m.

Palo Verde vs. Desert Christian, 3 p.m.

 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

BRACKET PLAY: 9 a.m. – Noon

 

Zoe Morgan. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)