Sedona Red Rock High School’s volleyball team quite literally looked a little different than it had for most of the season in the home game against Valley Lutheran on Tuesday, Oct. 27. But the addition of COVID-19 masks didn’t keep the SRRHS team from posting a 3-0 victory over the visiting Flames.

Taking preventative measures following a positive COVID-19 test at the school the previous week, the Scorpions wore masks throughout the contest, even when they were playing. It was only the second time that the Sedona players had been masked up while on the floor, with the first coming in a 0-3 loss to Scottsdale Prep on Saturday, Oct. 24. Wearing masks throughout a game is still taking some getting used to, but the Scorpions know it’s a necessary step.

“It’s annoying because it’s hard to catch your breath,” sophomore Bella Williams said. “But it’s for a good reason. I’d rather play with a mask than not at all.”

“It’s not too bad,” added junior Emma Beattie. “It’s a little annoying at times because you’re breathing pretty hard and the mask gets in the way. But we just deal with it as best as we can.”

Whatever inconveniences that came with wearing a mask didn’t show on the floor.

The opening set was competitive through the early part. When junior Stephanie Medel took her turn in the serve rotation, the Scorpions were leading only 12-11. When that serve was broken, SRRHS led 20-11. Valley Lutheran did close the gap from there, but never got too close, as the Scorpions finished the opening set off 25-20 to take a 1-0 lead.

The arc of that set ended up being a recurring theme for the remainder of the match. While not dominant over Valley Lutheran, Sedona was almost always ahead on the scoreboard. The Scorpions went up 2-0 with a 25-19 win in the second set and closed the 3-0 sweep out with a 25-22 win in the third.

“I think we had a really good game,” Medel said. “We had a lot of energy. We had a positive attitude, too. We all worked as a team.”

Sedona coach Alex Bybee was happy with her team’s performance, especially when comparing it to the 3-0 loss the Scorpions suffered against Scottsdale Prep three days prior.

“I think they did good,” Bybee said. “They’re getting better and better with the mental battle of the game, which is good. There was definitely growth between the last game and this game. It’s a tough group of kids. I’m happy with what we’re doing.”

The Scorpions were in action again on Thursday, Oct. 29, with a road game against Desert Heights Prep Academy. Repeating what happened in the season’s first meeting between the two teams, SRRHS defeated the Coyotes in five sets [25-12, 15-25, 25-21, 21-25, 16-14].

Sedona will finish its season off with three games next week. The Scorpions will host North Valley Christian on Monday, Nov. 2, for the season’s final home game. They’ll then go on the road to take on North Pointe Prep on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Valley Lutheran on Thursday, Nov. 5. All remaining games start at 6 p.m.

The wins over the Flames and Coyotes moved the Scorpions to 6-6 overall, 5-6 in 2A Conference play and 5-4 in the 2A Central Region.

The Scorpions are presently ranked No. 16 among 2A teams in Arizona. With that, they’re all but certain to be in a play-in game, reserved for the No. 9 – 24 seeds. The 9 – 16 seeds will host their play-in games while the No. 17 – 24 seeds will play on the road. So, while Sedona’s spot in a play-in game is all but assured, the results of the final three regular season games could determine whether the game is at SRRHS or if the Scorpions will have to travel. All play-in games are presently scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m.

“I’m happy with where we stand,” Beattie said. “I think we can even do better than today if we push ourselves and work hard.”

Williams agreed.

“We have a good chance of going to state. I’m excited to see where we stand,” she said.