Caitlin Fowble is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism graduate student assigned to cover Deer Valley for AZPreps365.com

It was a frustrating night for the Deer Valley girls volleyball team as they fell to the Mesquite Wildcats in straight sets during Monday’s match. 

The Skyhawks (4-2) were stunned 23-25, 19-25 and 15-25 by the Wildcats’ (4-4) performance. 

Preparation is key for the Wildcats, and that was reflected in their performance. 

“Before our games we do some meditation,” Wildcats junior Maddie Purdy said. “We really talk about our mindset a lot.”

Though not shown in the result, the first set in Monday’s match saw a lot of promise for the Skyhawks. After an eight-point run by Deer Valley to give them a 22-17 lead, it looked like the momentum started to shift in favor of the Skyhawks. 

The scoring run was supported by a strong effort from junior Natalie Vasquez, who had two aces. 

A crucial timeout called by Mesquite coach Carlos Flys effectively put an end to the Skyhawks rally. After the timeout, the Wildcats outscored the Skyhawks 8-2, securing the set victory. 

Despite battling in the first set, the Skyhawks could not find an answer to the Wildcats’ game plan. The Wildcats had 16 block assists in the match, a stat that Flys and his team were incredibly proud of.

“We triple-blocked, which is something that we haven’t really done all season,” Flys said. “We put that into perspective and then we were able to get some of the tips.”

Coming into the match, Flys and his team knew they had to be aware of Deer Valley stars Amanda Hardt and Sam Gloria. 

“It’s no surprise if you look at their stats, or watch them at all, that they have two awesome players,” Flys said. “Their two middles are just incredible athletes.”

The Wildcats adjusted their game plan to account for the Skyhawks duo. 

“Scouting helps a lot,” Purdy said. “We realized they set the middles a lot and made a whole new defense to defend against that.”

In the match, Hardt and Gloria gave their best effort with a combined 24 kills. 

The final set of the match saw the Wildcats build a 20-9 lead. The Skyhawks showed their determination, going on a seven-point run to close the lead, but could not complete the comeback. 

Hardt pointed out that a lack of communication contributed to the Skyhawks’ struggle, noting they can take that lesson into their next match. 

“Well, with every loss, I feel like you can learn something,” Hardt said. “As a team we should communicate more.”

Not getting the result they wanted in Monday’s match, the Skyhawks are looking ahead to their next match and focusing on their adjustments.

Hardt said that the team could improve in not letting their frustration show during the match.

 “I think in the future we’ll learn from it and grow,” Hardt said. 

Deer Valley next heads to the Goldwater Volleyball Festival at North Canyon High School where they will face Skyline (5-2) and Desert Mountain (5-2) at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday. 

Mesquite takes on St. Mary’s (4-2) at home Sept. 27 at 6 p.m.