Annie Wingert is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Thunderbird High School for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX— With a slight 12-11 lead over Barry Goldwater in the third set of Tuesday night’s girls volleyball match, Thunderbird senior outside hitter Sophia Frandsen delivered a service ace that swung momentum in favor of the Titans.

From that point forward, Thunderbird outscored Barry Goldwater 12-4 to finish out the third set, sealing a 3-0 match sweep at Thunderbird.

Service aces and hitting were huge for Thunderbird in the match, junior outside hitter Lena Mearig said. This offensive power propelled them to outscore Barry Goldwater 75-50 throughout the match.

“We did really good hitting and executing throughout the whole game,” Mearig said. “I think we exploited their weaknesses.” 

Thunderbird collected 15 service aces. Frandsen led the way by recording one-third of the team’s aces. Some of them came in pivotal moments when sets were close.

Early on in the second set with the score tied at eight, Frandsen recorded three service aces in a row.

After that swing of momentum, Thunderbird went on a 17-9 scoring run to take the second set, 25-17.

Thunderbird’s efficient hitting in the match was hard to miss, as it recorded 36 kills with a .230 hitting percentage. Frandsen, on top of her five serving aces, also led the team in kills with 13.

Going into the match, Frandsen led her team in kills this season with 264, according to MaxPreps. This is 80 more than the team’s second leader in kills, Mearig, who was also the team’s second leader in kills in Tuesday’s match.

Almost a month ago, these two teams faced off at Goldwater. In that match, Thunderbird dropped the first set and won the last three. 

This time, the Titans swept the Bulldogs. Frandsen attributed the team’s improved performance to increased team connectedness and changes in the mindset they have when they play.

“I think our urgency has gotten a lot better,” Frandsen said. “We’re playing more together and trusting each other.”

Thunderbird also came out stronger than it did in their last match against Barry Goldwater, Mearig said. It claimed victory in the first set, which helped set the tone for the rest of the match.

The Titans immediately exploded on offense in the first set, widening the score between them and the Bulldogs. Despite their best efforts, Barry Goldwater (12-7, 4-3 4A Skyline) could not close that initial gap in points, leading to a 25-18 win for the Titans.

Senior middle hitter Ashlyn Ferguson said over the many matches it has had since that first match against Barry Goldwater, the growing team chemistry is paying off on the court.

“Our connection got stronger,” Ferguson said. “We trust each other more.”

Not only is the team’s strong connection evident on the court, it stays present outside of games and practices, Ferguson said. This has helped it achieve success this season, as the Titans are 20-5 overall and stand atop the 4A Skyline Region with a 7-0 record.

“We’re all friends outside of here, so it just feels like we’re all just playing with our friends,” Ferguson said. “I think that helps a lot.”