Notre Dame Prep almost swept through the 2021 House of Payne Volleyball Invitational Friday and Saturday at Chandler High. 

Save one lost set in bracket play (vs. Sunnyslope) on Friday of the two-day event, the Saints were not to be denied the title in the first invitational schools were allowed to play since 2019 due to the pandemic.

Notre Dame Prep knocked off Perry, 25-22, 27-25 in the championship match showing their mettle in each set, especially the second when it fought off four set points and rallied to win. 

Notre Dame  is 9-0 for the seasons and won all seven of its tourney matches defeating Gilbert twice, Chandler, Desert Ridge, Sunnyslope, Sandra Day O'Connor and Perry. Perry won four of seven matches to reach the final. Perry advanced to the title match beating Sunnyslope while Notre Dame's second win over Gilbert powered the Saints to the title game. Sunnyslope ended up taking third place with a 25-20 victory over Gilbert.

Notre Dame Prep coach Holly McLean anticipated her team would would make a strong showing with many battle-tested players from last year's 17-1 runner-up finish in 4A.

"We were just very efficient," McLean said. "They knew the game plan, and executed it every match."

Notre Dame Prep was led by tournament most valuable player Evan Hendrix. Hendrix is quite a talent and a sophomore playing her second year on varsity. Hendrix backed up her MVP nod, granted a few minutes before the title match. She registered a whopping 22 kills in the title match. Teammate Sophia Ross was next in kills with six. 

Notre Dame Prep never trailed in the opening set building a five-point lead early and an edge of six a couple times. Perry gradually cut the lead from 16-10 to a 20-20 tie. Hendrix registered three kills among the Saints final five points including the set decider.

Perry turned things around in the second set leading nearly the entire set. Leads of 8-3 and 13-8 were the Pumas largest. They were a point away from forcing a decisive third set, leading 24-20. Three kills from Hendrix and a Perry hitting errors knotted the score at 24.

Perry nabbed its final lead 25-24 on a kill by Layla Handley. Two kills by Hendrix and match point was delivered next via an ace from the Saints' Isa Blackwell.

The Pumas were more balanced on the attack. Handley, and Adi Galvanoni put up six kills each. Reese Biesemeyer added five kills and isa Blackwell four.

 

The 2021 House Of Payne all-tournament team: from left - Sunnyslope's Georgi Stein, Perry's Jordan Suan, Gilbert's Sydney Mahon, Chaparral's Lexi Mallonee-King, O'Connor's Maya Kitna and Notre Dame Prep's Evan Hendrix. Hendrix was selected tournament MVP. (AzPreps365 photo).