Don Ketchum
Former Staff Writer, AZPreps365.com

Serve's up: D-I, D-II volleyball title matches Tuesday

November 5, 2012 by Don Ketchum, AZPreps365


The Division I and Division II volleyball championship matches are set.

Top-seeded Flagstaff will face No. 6 Phoenix Arcadia for the Division II title on Tuesday (Nov. 6) at 5:30 p.m. at Gilbert Mesquite High.

The Division I title match will follow at 7:45 p.m. at Mesquite with top-seeded Phoenix Horizon meeting No. 3 Phoenix Xavier Prep.

Flagstaff advanced by defeating No. 4 Tucson Ironwood Ridge in three sets on Saturday (Nov. 3), and Arcadia moved on by defeating No. 2 Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep in three sets.

In its semifinal on Saturday, Horizon outlasted No. 4 Glendale Mountain Ridge in five sets and Xavier had to go five sets to defeat No. 2 Chandler Hamilton.

This will be the first meeting between Flagstaff and Arcadia. A year ago, Flagstaff fell in the first round to Queen Creek, while Arcadia reached the title match before falling to Phoenix Sunnyslope.

Horizon and Xavier are quite familiar with each other. They have met four times this season, with Horizon winning 10 of 12 sets. Two of those meetings were in tournaments.

In the 2011 state tournament, both teams lost to Gilbert, Xavier in the semifinals and Horizon in the title match.

Long-time Xavier coach Tim McHale has announced that he is stepping down at the end of this season to spend more time with his family.