Connor Kuntz is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Moon Valley for AZPreps365.com.

PHOENIX – It did not start pretty for Moon Valley’s varsity girl’s volleyball team, as it  faced a 1-10 hole that looked nearly impossible to climb out of. However, the Rockets gained momentum, never looked back and ended their season with a 15-17 record.

With seniors, including Enedina Virgil-Macey and Brianna Rodriguez, returning for their final season, Moon Valley was ready to jump out of the gates and contend for a playoff spot in the 4A Black Conference region. 

Unfortunately for the Rockets, it was a less than ideal start, as Moon Valley started the season with losses to Thunderbird, Desert Sunrise and Greenway. They would pick up their first victory of the season against Tempe, but it only got worse for the Rockets.

After falling to Goldwater on Sept. 9, Moon Valley competed in the Mary Jo Goldey Invitational hosted by Lake Havasu High School. This tournament featured one-set matches against some of the best teams in Arizona, and Moon Valley struggled against these high-quality opponents.

In the 10 matches that Moon Valley played, it finished 3-7. This included losing to its first six opponents and falling to a season worst 1-10. When the dust settled, Moon Valley left Lake Havasu with a 4-11 record.

“Even though we were losing, I told them we are better than how we have been playing,” Moon Valley head coach Christy Wiley said. “We needed to have those conversations and translate them into our practices and games.”

After having talks with the team, Wiley lit a fire under the Rockets that they have carried throughout the rest of the season, which was immediately felt by the players.

“In the beginning, our communication was frankly not good,” Virgil-Macey said. “As the season progressed, and especially towards the end, our communication got way better.”

It would start immediately with back-to-back victories over Tempe and Coronado, both in straight sets. Although they would drop games against Dysart and Marcos de Niza, the top two teams in the region, they would only drop four more games the rest of the season.

This included another tournament, the Epic Tourneys Girls Volleyball Invite. In this tournament, the Rockets went 3-2, defeating Nogales, Patagonia and Duncan. This tournament was one where the Rockets really felt they bounded as a unit.

“I honestly think this year was the year everyone on the team got closer together,” senior Sydney Ogle said. “The memories that I have bonding with everyone are memories I won't forget.”

The final stretch of the season was where Moon Valley was at its best, going 4-2 over its final six games. 

“They saw the benefits of their hard work in the final few games,” Wiley said. “It felt like our squad finally had belief in themselves.”

Even in defeat, there were still moments of celebration. Virgil-Macey recorded her 300th career kill in a loss against Dysart in a game that she says she will never forget. 

Their final game at Glendale on Oct. 27 was a culmination of all the hard work the team put in throughout the year. Even with dropping the first set, Wiley knew this was a different Moon Valley team from the beginning of the season.

“I just laughed and told them to relax,” Wiley said. “Once they start laughing, then their body relaxes and they can re-focus.”

Moon Valley used this reset to turn the match around and win the next three sets, defeating Glendale 3-1 and finishing the season 15-17, winning 13 out of 19 games after starting 1-10. Although Moon Valley missed the playoffs, Wiley could not be prouder with her squad.

“I’m going to miss their hard work and dedication to our program,” said Wiley of her seniors. “We are going to miss their love for the coaches, teammates and just being around them everyday.”