The Scorpions are volleyball state champions.

The Sedona Red Rock High School volleyball team finally won the Arizona Division IV state championship title for the first time ever after being so close last year. The Scorpions beat Northwest Christian 3-1 in the final game Saturday, Nov. 3, in Prescott Valley.

“It just feels great,” said John Parks, the Scorpions head coach. “The girls worked so hard for it. It’s a nice achievement.”

The Scorpions went into the tournament as the No. 6 seed. The team’s first game was against No. 11 Benson on Thursday night, Nov. 1.

“The first round game was pretty easy for us, which is always nice because it gives us a chance to get used to the arena and atmosphere,” Parks said. “We put [Benson] away pretty quickly.”

The Scorpions won the firstround, 3-0.

The girls faced No. 3-seeded Scottsdale Christian on Friday, Nov. 2. The Scorpions lost the first two sets.

“We weren’t playing smart,” Parks said. “We were making errors in one and two, and dug a big hole for ourselves.”

After set two, Parks told his players they had to win one point at a time and not to focus on the score.

That did the trick. The Scorpions won the next three sets and the match 3-2.

The win advanced them to the semifinals where they played No. 2-seeded Valley Christian. They beat the Trojans easily, 3-0.

“After the Scottsdale Christian game, the girls got in the zone,” Parks said. “They just took it to Valley Christian and led all three sets. They really played well.”

The Scorpions then found themselves in the finals, going

For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Nov. 7, issue of the Red Rock News.