GLENDALE—Deer Valley celebrated senior night in style on Tuesday, winning 25-13, 25-5 and 25-12 against Barry Goldwater in this 4A West Valley Region matchup.

After a heartbreaking defeat to Cactus last Thursday, the Skyhawks (23-14) bounced back and secured a win against the winless Bulldogs (0-19).

Deer Valley had won the previous contest against Barry Goldwater in a 3-0 sweep. In honor of senior night, the Skyhawks played only their seniors for the entire match. Key contributing juniors such as outside hitter Sam Gloria and middle back Amanda Hardt sat out. 

Barry Goldwater was hoping to register its first win of the season. This was the opportunity for the Bulldogs to make a statement but the talent of Deer Valley negated any chance.

The first set started off with an error from Skyhawk setter Emee Fellens. The early mistake appeared to be ominous, but would prove to be a fluke. Then, the first point of the game for the Skyhawks was a kill from outside hitter Liz Rupp and the assist came from Fellens. They used this one-two punch to take a commanding 10-3 lead.

Going up seven didn’t stop the tenacity from Barry Goldwater, as it took advantage of multiple serving errors by the Skyhawks.

However, Deer Valley scored three straight points, all of which were assisted by Fellens, and won the first set handily, 25-13. 

After watching that assist Fellens’ father, John, reminisced about her improvement since starting as a freshman on the varsity team. “Her confidence has sky-rocketed this year,” Fellens said. “She was so intimidated her freshman year and now she’s got no fear.”

Deer Valley was a leviathan in the second set and wanted its night to be even more special. Three consecutive aces by Fellens gave the Skyhawks a 5-0 lead. Halfway through the set, they led 13-1 and kept the foot on the gas pedal. Fellens continued her dominance, as she had two consecutive assists to give Deer Valley a 20-4 lead. After a quick point by the Bulldogs, five straight points put the finishing touch on a 25-5 second set.

The third set appeared to have a sweep in the distance. Deer Valley got off to a blazing 6-1 start. That momentum carried on with three consecutive Rupp kills that extended the lead to 10-3. They had a plethora of points in succession and used that to win the set and the match, 25-12. It ended the same way it started, with a Rupp kill and Fellens assist.

Once the ball smacked the hardwood, emotions poured out as all the seniors embraced before departing their home floor for the final time in the blue-and-white. Jackie Wallace, coach of the Skyhawks, reflected on the memories made with her seniors. “It’s a true honor watching them grow into young women, both on and off the court," Wallace said. "It makes you feel like they’re your kids.”

Rupp will walk out of her last game with 209 total kills on the season, which is fourth in the region. She’s also third in the region for hitting percentage with .325% and ranks 35th in the state. 

Fellens has 545 total assists for the season, ranking second in her region and 27th in the state.

Deer Valley (23-14) enters its first playoff match next Thursday at a neutral site. The Skyhawks' opponent is yet to be determined.