Justin Dunbar is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Westview High School for AZPreps365.com

Trailing 24-23 and facing defeat in the third set, the Westview Knights volleyball team had the opportunity to accomplish a feat no team in the 5A Desert West division has accomplished in over a month.

Nevertheless, the Verrado Vipers managed to secure a 3-0 sweep on Monday night at Westview. They secured set victories of 25-11, 25-7, and 25-23.

This marked Verrado’s eighth consecutive victory in regional play. They have not lost a set in regional play since Sept. 17, when they won 3-1 at Buckeye Union High School. 

“They have college volleyball players on their team,” Westview coach Malerie Mech said. “They give 100% effort, no matter what, and even when they are down or making errors, they bounce back and move forward.”

Senior middle blocker Aniah Brown led the Vipers with 11 kills in addition to one ace. 

“She’s ready to play whatever part she needs for the team and just show and be that leader and get us wherever we need to be,” Verrado coach Mersadez Bowen said.

While Brown led the team in kills, the Vipers’ season-long kill leader, senior outside hitter Alyssa Ortiz, led the team with six kills in the second set. 

“I think she got more opportunities and she just wanted it more,” Bowen said. “She’s a killer at heart and an amazing volleyball player.”

Ortiz and Brown lead the team in kills for the season and have been extremely influential in the team’s streak.

“I love playing with [Ortiz],” Brown said. “She never gives up, even if she makes an error, and she always can be out with a bang.”

This win for the Vipers comes after participating in a four-match tournament this past Friday and Saturday with only one off day before this match. In spite of this, they immediately jumped to a 13-2 lead en route to a 25-12 win in the initial set.

“I thought we were gonna come out and be a little tired, but we came out hungrier than ever,” Bowen said. “I think that’s what’s going to make us keep going this year and get all the way to the end.”

For the Knights, their loss slides them down to 3-6 in regional play, ranking fifth among the seven teams in the region. However, they managed to score more than twice the amount of points they did when the two teams faced off on Sept. 24. 

In the initial matchup, Mech could only use five varsity players due to injury, with the rest of the roster composed of junior varsity players. 

“The varsity girls showed up,” Mech said.

A turning point of the match came in the second set, with Verrado scoring 10 straight points to begin. Westview managed only five kills in the set. 

“We don’t do a great job at setting the open spots in the court,” Mech said in reference to the second set. “We tended to swing away.”

In the third set, Westview benefited with their 21st and 23rd points coming via the only two kills of the match from freshman defensive specialist and outside hitter Janiyha Wilson. Mech expressed optimism that the team could use their success during that stretch as momentum.

“This rotation that I usually put in my third set, I try to get my [defensive specialists] in and less hitters,” Mech said. “I think it’s been working a little bit more for us and getting a lot closer matches.”

Whereas the Knights look to build on their third-set competitiveness, the Vipers will look to learn from their mistakes in the final set. 

“Sometimes we just want to play the game and we don’t want to finish," Bowen said.  

“I feel like we should just keep playing our game,” Brown said. “Keep playing calm and always trust each other at the end of the day.”

Verrado currently holds a lead of one and a half matches over Desert Edge High School and will host Betty H. Fairfax High School on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Westview will travel to Paradise Valley High School at 5 p.m. on Wednesday,