Camila Chacon is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Barry Goldwater for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX — Pink filled the stands as the Barry Goldwater Bulldogs swept the Washington Rams overcoming early communication struggles while raising breast cancer awareness on Dig Pink Night.

Hesitation on the court kept the first set close, with the Bulldogs winning 25-23. But on a night celebrating strength and support, the team leaned on its chemistry and remembered its ability to lift each other up.

“During our timeouts, we try to get our spirits up and bring our energy together,” senior middle  Jade Eskridge said. “Cracking jokes and staying lighthearted helped us get the momentum going again.”

In the back-and-forth opening set, the Rams gained a 17-14 lead before the Bulldogs gradually closed the gap, tying the score at 21. With the score at 24-23, Barry Goldwater took a timeout before capitalizing on the Rams’ five missed serves to secure the final point.

Barry Goldwater’s ability to regroup translated into stronger play on the court, helping the Bulldogs build offensive confidence with a dominant second set. The team powered past the Rams 25-11 after an early 10-10 tie. 

The Bulldogs’ offense came alive with assistance from junior outside hitter Gabby Carrillo, who delivered four strong kills to help build control. The improved communication led to three consecutive service errors from the Rams that concluded the set. 

“We definitely had a really slow start today, but once we got into the second set, we finally got our feet under us and figured it out,” head coach Kelley Robb said.

The Rams stayed competitive through the third set, tying the score 12-12 before briefly taking the lead at 14-12. The Bulldogs responded, reclaimed the lead and widened the gap to 23-17. A service error from Washington and a final kill from Carillo completed the sweep.

“We’ve always been a very defensive team, and we’re finally getting to a point where our offense is really starting to explode,” Robb said.

Beyond the team's sweep, Dig Pink Night brought the entire school community together to honor those affected by breast cancer. A slideshow on the scoreboard was put together in memory of those who lost their lives, along with recognizing survivors. 

Athletic director Jason Levine has helped the program expand the event in the last year, adding T-shirt fundraisers and donation drop-off locations to create a more engaging atmosphere for players and fans.

“Looking over and seeing a wall full of people we’re honoring is always really cool,” Robb said, “Hopefully we can raise some money to help with research and funding for those who have breast cancer.”

Beyond raising awareness, events like Dig Pink Night also give Barry Goldwater an opportunity to bring in more fans and strengthen its connection with the community.

“Since we’re one of the smaller schools in the district, we want to start becoming more competitive and having fun events to attract more athletes to the school,” Levine said. 

After a night of celebrations on and off the court, the Bulldogs will look to carry that momentum into their final three regular-season games. The team will take on North Canyon and Greenway on the road before concluding their season at home against Paradise Honors.

“Going into the end of our season and postseason, we just need to continue on working on getting our serves in, serving tough, playing good defense, and putting the ball away.” Robb said.