Sedona Red Rock High School’s volleyball team headed into its game against Camp Verde on Tuesday, Sept. 22, looking to even its record after losing the night before. Fortunately for the SRRHS team, that was accomplished.
The Scorpions defeated the Cowboys 3-0. That was a complete reversal from the 3-0 loss they suffered in their opening game against Glendale Prep.
The Sedona players noticed a dramatic change in how their team approached the first two games.
“I think we were really nervous because it was our very first game of the season — we were all in our heads and moved too quickly,” sophomore Bella Williams said. “We really calmed down today and it really showed. We talked and communicated and really pulled through.”
“Our mentality really changed a lot,” sophomore Ella Philo said. “We all just took a deep breath and it changed our whole entire thought on where we’re supposed to be, what we’re supposed to be doing — all of that.”
Sedona came out strong in the first set, opening up a 9-4 lead. Camp Verde fought from there, though, even taking a 15-14 lead. After the Scorpions tied it at 15, Philo went back to serve. Her serve was eventually broken, but not until SRRHS had gone up 21-15. That gave the Sedona the cushion necessary to win the first set 25-18.
The Scorpions went up 10-4 in the second set but just like the first, the Cowboys came back and tied it at 14-14. Sedona controlled the action from there, building a 17-16 lead and then scoring eight of the final nine points to win the second set 25-17, going up 2-0 in the process.
The third and final set didn’t have quite the same back-and-forth nature. Knowing victory was close, Sedona came out strong, opening up a 9-0 lead. Camp Verde improved things from there but never got closer than eight points down and the Scorpions finished out the sweep with a 25-14 victory.
“I think what changed is we helped each other on the court; we worked as a team better,” junior Emma Beattie said. “We told each other what to do, accepted what was said to us, gave feedback, took that feedback, and worked on the court together and executed that last set by working together.”
The win was not only the first of the season for the Scorpions but the first for Alex Bybee as the team’s coach and her first win as a head coach on the varsity level for any school.
The coach liked the consistent effort that she saw from her team and felt that it was a primary contributor to the victory.
“I honestly think that we played the same through all three sets,” Bybee said. “I really believe that my team did an excellent job of keeping their energy level even. That’s definitely what made us successful today.”
Bybee also noted how much the team has improved since offseason workouts began in June and even since the official practices began.
“Our passing has exponentially improved since June and even since the school year started,” the coach said. “We’re becoming faster, better and more consistent all around. I’m proud of my players.”
Sedona’s team was back in action on Thursday, Sep. 24 against Desert Heights Prep Academy. The Scorpions won a five-set battle over the Coyotes, 20-25, 25-18, 25-17, 18-25, 18-16.
Sedona will now be on the road for six straight games, facing Scottsdale Prep on Tuesday, Sept. 29, Glendale Prep on Thursday, Oct. 1, Kingman Academy on Saturday, Oct. 3, Scottsdale Christian on Monday, Oct. 5, Northland Prep on Tuesday, Oct. 6, and Valley Lutheran on Thursday, Oct. 8, before finally returning home for a game against North Pointe Prep on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m.
