Nicole Parker is an NAU School of Communication student assigned to cover high school volleyball for AZPreps365.com

A nine-point deficit in the first set wasn't enough to stop the Flagstaff Eagles from continuing their winning streak against crosstown rival Coconino.

The Panthers were looking for their first victory over Flagstaff since 2020 and jumped out to a 12-3 lead in the first set. However, the Eagles responded with a comeback to take the set 26-24 before winning the next two 25-14 and 25-18, keeping their undefeated record in the Grand Canyon Region.

With Flagstaff trailing in the first set, coach Beth Haglin called a timeout to regroup her team. Rather than focusing on the scoreboard, Haglin told her players to settle down and focus on controlling what they could do on the court.

Haglin also emphasized taking the set one point at a time, allowing the Eagles to slowly chip away at Coconino's lead.

“We talked about controlling our emotions, controlling our play, playing with intensity and not fear,” Haglin said. “They did a great job coming out and just meticulously going through and pulling points — they get one, we get two or three, they get one we get two; so it's just getting that little advantage.”

The timeout showed to be the turning point for the Eagles as they were able to regain their confidence. It looked like a comfortable lead for Coconino but it quickly turned into a back-and-forth battle, with Flagstaff completing the comeback to take the opening set.

Eagles freshman Josie Turco, who led the Eagles in kills, said the team needed to shake off the nerves and trust their ability to play together.

“I think we just started off slow; during the timeout we were able to breath and talk about it and get our jitters out,” Turco said. “We were really tense and after our timeout and realizing we could breath and play like we always do it really helped us rise up to become the team we always are.”

After taking the first set, the Eagles carried that momentum into the second. The Eagles won the second set 25-14 before winning third 25-18 to complete the sweep.

Turco led the Eagles with 13 kills. Despite being a freshman, Turco has continued to grow into her role on the team, gaining confidence as the season has gone on. 

With the sweep over the Panthers, the Eagles are now 5-0 in region play. Haglin talked about the importance of not getting too comfortable with previous victories and continuing to approach each opponent with the same level of preparation and intensity.

“The second round is always the toughest for the team that won, just because you have the advantage of knowing you won you just have to realize you can't sit back,” Haglin said. "Tonight was a good example of that this was a good lesson for us to learn moving forward.”

The Eagles will look to carry this momentum into their second round of region play, beginning Monday against the Prescott Badgers.