Desert Oasis, Sierra Vista advance to 4A girls volleyball final

After shaking off some early nerves Wednesday night, Desert Oasis’ girls volleyball team now finds itself in uncharted territory: the 4A state championship.

The Diamondbacks dismissed their semifinal opponent Silverado — which bounced them from the first round of the state playoffs last year — in three sets, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21. This is the farthest Desert Oasis, the tournament’s No. 2 seed in the Mountain League, has gone in program history.

On Saturday, the Diamondbacks will face host (and defending 4A champion) Sierra Vista for the state title.

“I have a couple girls who have become state runners-up in other sports, and they want (a championship) so bad for volleyball,” Desert Oasis coach Ronda Mills said. “Our motto this season has been ‘play bold,’ and for them to just play free and go for it. It’s gotten us this far, and we’re going to keep with it.”

Junior outside hitter Charli Quinto led the Diamondbacks with 18 kills on Wednesday night. Quinto, senior outside hitter Bryli Allen and senior middle blocker Willa Grogan each contributed a service ace.

Desert Oasis started a bit slow against Silverado (the Lake League’s second seed), as Mills said the team came out of the gate a bit nervous. The Skyhawks jumped out to a 7-3 lead to start the first set, but the Diamondbacks rallied back to keep pace. Trailing 21-20, Desert Oasis scored five unanswered points to claim the win.

The Diamondbacks settled in after that, holding off a late Silverado charge in the second set and dominating in the third. Desert Oasis never trailed in that final set.

Sierra Vista returns to 4A final

Sierra Vista has just one more test in its quest for back-to-back state 4A titles.

The Mountain Lions, top seed from the Mountain League, defeated Desert League No. 1 seed Sky Pointe in three sets (25-20, 25-21, 25-16) in Wednesday’s semifinal matchup.

On Saturday, they’ll have the home-court advantage in the championship matchup against Desert Oasis.

“It’s always a big impact and advantage, playing at home,” Sierra Vista coach Raymond Maika said. “The main thing is just doing what we’ve been doing all year round — playing our style of play, sticking together, and picking each other up, no matter where we’re at in the game.”

Sophomore outside hitter Averie Gidge had a team-best 13 kills against the Eagles. Senior outside hitter Presley Hartstrong contributed three service aces and four digs.

To start the first set, Sky Pointe jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The Mountain Lions shook off a slow start to take the early lead with an 8-2 run, giving them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

From then on, the Eagles couldn’t muster much momentum against the defending champs. Sierra Vista jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the second set, keeping Sky Pointe at bay the rest of the way. The Mountain Lions kept the pressure on in the clinching set for the 25-16 victory.