Damian Rios is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover St. Mary's Catholic High School for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX- The ferocious number-one ranked Horizon Huskies defeated the heretofore unstoppable number-two ranked Millenium Tigers in straight sets in the 5A volleyball state championship Saturday night, 25-15, 25-14, 25-15. 

As the Huskies have done all season, they beat yet another opponent in three sets. In Horizon's previous nine matches before Saturday's tussle with Millennium, the Huskies had only dropped one set (during Thursday's 3-1 defeat of Cactus Shadows in the state semis). And what better time to do it than during the state championship, held at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum?

Before the match was set to begin, both teams were locked in and ready to hoist the hardware. 

The Huskies never trailed through the three sets, winning by 10 or more points in each. While the Tigers looked cool, calm, and collected in pregame warm-ups, it did not translate to the match. With many errors and little to no communication, the Tigers could not get a long rally going. Of course, the Huskies had a little to do with that.

During the regular season, both squads went 16-1. The Tigers' only loss was to Saturday's state championship foe, Horizon, while the Huskies' sole defeat came in a five-setter at Cactus Shadows on October 12.

Huskies 6-foot senior captain Taylor "Scoobs" Johnson going up for the spike 

In the first set, the Huskies silenced the Tiger fans after going up 20-13, triggering a "Why so quiet!" response from the Huskies fans. 

The Tigers struggled most of the match with communication. There were instances when Millennium would not call fellow players off a ball, causing them to get tangled up, to not calling a ball, and in the end, it landing in front of the players. The team wasn't playing terribly, they were simply outplayed by the dominant Huskies.

After taking the first set, Horizon came out just as strong in the second, winning five consecutive points. Showing no mercy for the Tigers, the Huskies would not let up and continued to knock them around, taking set two 25-14. The third and final set was nothing different than the first two, just the Huskies doing what they do. Dominating. Winning 25-15, sealing the game, and capturing the trophy. Huskies head coach Valorie McKenzie hoisting her hard-earned trophy  

The Huskies produced a fourth state championship for long-time head coach and coach of the year, Valorie McKenzie. McKenzie, in her 42nd season at Horizon, is no stranger to matches such as these. She has been the Huskies coach since 1980, achieving more than 1,000 career wins along with the four state championships.

McKenzie is losing seven seniors after this year--more than half her 13-member squad—but she believes her seniors' legacy will live on and will pick up where the team left off this year.

"This is the most amazing team I've ever coached, talent-wise, but more importantly, it's the most amazing team I've ever coached being coachable and working as a unit," said McKenzie. "They're just amazing. This hands down is the best team I've ever coached, in all aspects."

After her successful 42nd season, McKenzie plans to return next year, but it isn't a decision she will make lightly.  "The plan is to come back at least one more year," McKenzie said.