Brett Lapinski is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Paradise Valley for AZPreps365.com                                                                                                                                                                                         

PHOENIX — Coming off two rough shutout losses to divisional rivals Cactus Shadows and Horizon, Paradise Valley High School's girls varsity volleyball team looks to bounce back Thursday against another familiar foe in Desert Mountain.

The Trojans head into their third straight rivalry match sporting a record of 14-7 (1-2) compared to the 9-12 Wolves, who also sit at 1-2 in league play and are losers of two straight as well.                                                                        
An away match does pose some concerns for the Trojans, who are 2-3 at opposing gyms compared to a stellar 6-1 record at home. Their struggles in league play have dropped the Trojans to the 12th seed in the conference. However, they still obtain a mighty 16-spot cushion over the Wolves in the standings.

Records and seedings aside, the Wolves have bested the Trojans over the recent years. Thus, a win carries some extra importance, especially for the seniors.                                                                                            

"I have never beat them in my high school career," senior Emma Parmley said. "I think it would be a great experience to finally get a win against them."

Senior Jadyn Armstrong added, "A lot of the girls on the Desert Mountain volleyball team play on the same club team as I do. It has not been fun losing to them, so that makes the game 10 times more important to me."

Fortunately for them, the Trojans possess a strong chance to terminate their losing streak against the Wolves. They average more points across four sets, tallying 21.3 points per set. That's almost a full two points higher than the Wolves, who stand at 19.6 points per set. In addition, the Trojans top the Wolves in every statistical component except serving aces, where they merely trail 174-169. 

Even with their statistical advantages, the Trojans know they cannot overlook this Wolves team. 

"They have always been a quick-paced team who is also very strong and scrappy," Parmley said. "I expect this group to be no different."

Parmley and Armstrong, along with juniors Audrey Kennedy and Bella Valverde, have established themselves as head coach Jessica Spencer's "key leaders" thus far into the season. Parmley leads the team in kills (251), while Armstrong leads in serving aces (58) and assists (256). Kennedy leads in digs (191) and receptions (301), while Valverde portrays a Swiss Army knife-type player.

However, two additional players are cementing themselves amongst the leaders as juniors Abby Peterson and Sofia Curran are surging just at the right time.

"Players that have been asked to step up their game have done so," Spencer said. "Abby Peterson is one of those players. She is what we used to call a gentle giant, and now she is becoming a beast. Another player, Sofia Curran, is proving to be a big help in the back row."

Their efforts earned both of them a player of the match award from recent matches. All around, the Trojans are typically an offensive-oriented team, which is why Spencer's primary focus heading into the match is defense.

"Defense is our plan," she said. "We are naturally good at offense, so the game plan is to make the least mistakes. Volleyball is a game of mistakes."

In their match on Tuesday versus Cactus Shadows, the Falcons took advantage of the Trojans' shaky defensive play, notching 38 kills compared to the Trojans' 18 — and the Falcons achieved the feat in fewer attack attempts. In correlation with Spencer's game plan, the players are preaching their own focus entering the match. One that has stuck with them throughout the season: teamwork.

"I think one of the biggest factors for our team record this year is a result of our togetherness and teamwork on the court," Parmley said. "I feel like the majority of our success has come from that."

Kennedy added, "When we trust each other, we are able to play as one and have confidence in each other."

With playoffs looming around the corner, the Trojans need every win they can get. They will look to capitalize Thursday with a chance of finishing off the sweep over the Wolves on Oct. 26.