On Monday, Oct. 4, Sedona Red Rock High School volleyball was reeling. The Scorpions started the season on such a high. It took seven matches for them to lose a set. A 7-0 start proved what those around the team already knew — the Sedona Red Rock Scorpions, with two top-ten state finishes in the last five years, were back.
But on that Monday, the Scorpions fell convincingly. A 3-1 loss to Scottsdale Christian, a fellow 2A Conference foe, made it appear that Sedona was a notch below the Eagles, a real contender for the state crown. The home loss to the Eagles was the Scorpions’ third loss in their previous four matches.
As the Scorpions’ position in the Arizona Interscholastic Association rankings plummeted, their morale didn’t follow. The 8-3 Scorpions, who were short handed due to undisclosed illness and other situations during their 1-3 stretch, knew they were going to be all right.
So the Scorpions went ahead and silenced the doubters and finished the season how they started — by ripping off seven-consecutive wins and dropping just two sets along the way.
“We kind of settled into the rotations we wanted to end the year with at that point in time,” Sedona head coach John Parks said. “The goal at the beginning of the year was to win [the 2A Central] region and that’s what we did. Then it was to get a good seed for state and get a first round bye, and that’s what we did.”
The Scorpions shredded its way through the 2A Central region with an 11-1 record, with the lone loss going against Desert Heights Prep. Academy, which qualified for the conference play-in round.
“This season went amazing for us,” said senior Emma Beattie. “Last year we had such a young team and we were all very new to each other, but this year since we didn’t lose anyone [a season ago], we kept that connection. We worked on the small things each practice and in games we put those small things to work. We won sets by working on what we did in practice.”
Sedona’s strong showing throughout the year earned itself a bye past the conference play -ins and through to the 2A State Championship. The Scorpions earned the bye by finishing the regular season inside the top eight teams in 2A in the algorithm-based rankings.
As of press, the Scorpions’ opponent and official seeding for the tournament remains unknown. The winners of Tuesday nights’ play-ins will be reseeded and Sedona’s first-round opposition will come from those matchups.
Whoever faces the Scorpions is going to match up with a team full of experience and confidence.
“Everyone always says that you want to make it to the championship and win state,” Beattie said. “I think this year is very possible that we can do that.”
There’s a sense of calmness and ease around the Sedona Red Rock practice gym. There’s joking and laughter as the players warm up and stretch, but once the drills begin and it’s time to put in the work, the Scorpions lock in. There are real expectations here, and each person in that gym knows it.
“Winning the whole thing [would mean success],” Parks laughed, with an edge of seriousness. “It’s pretty wide open. I don’t feel like anyone is that far ahead of anyone else in that top-ten area … This year it’s wide open.”
With the viewpoint of a “wide open” field in the eyes of the Scorpions, that means there’s something for the taking. The Scorpions hope to be the team to slam that door shut on the others Saturday at Mountain Ridge High School as the Scorpions begin their run at state in their first round match-up.
UPDATE:
The Sedona Red Rock Scorpions have been given the No. 8 seed in the 2A State Championships. The Scorpions will face No. 9 Arizona Lutheran at Mountain Ridge High School on Saturday. If the Scorpions were to win that match, they’d face off against the winner between No. 16 Ganado and No. 1 Chandler Prep., which is a perfect 17-0 on the season.
