Mike Meekhof is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover WIlliams Field for AZPreps365.com.

Williams Field girls volleyball team continued its strong start to the season by making quick work with Mountain Pointe Thursday night with a 3-1 set win in 5A action.

It was the Black Hawks third straight win and fifth of their past six.

“It was more exciting watching our girls come through than anything else,” Williams Field head coach Brian Hiapo said after the 25-13, 25-20, 24-26, 25-13.

The win moved the Black Hawks to 9-5 on the season, marking their best start since the 2016-17 campaign. The Pride, who had won three of their past four coming into tonight, dropped to 6-9. 

“It feels good, I’m just glad we got the win,” junior Kennedie Amarillas said. “As a team, it’s good to grow.”

The Black Hawks dominated from the start. Amarillas opened the first set with three serving aces in a row to take control. The set ended with a 25-13 wire-to-wire win for Williams Field. 

Mountain Pointe held two early leads of 2-1 and 9-7 in the early stages of the second set, but Williams Field came roaring back to win it 25-20.

In the third set, it looked like Williams Field was destined for a sweep, as it took control and led 24-19. However, Mountain Pointe scored five-unanswered points to tie it up at 24 a piece. Williams Field didn’t know what hit it. The Pride scored the next two and got their first set win of the night to stay alive.

“That third set was a little rough, I don’t know if we got too comfortable or what,” Amarillas said.

Coming off the momentum shift going Mountain Pointe’s way, Williams Field was able to quickly recapture it by remaining unshaken and dominating the fourth set to cap off the night with a 25-13 win. 

“In the third set, we were just messing around and not taking it seriously, so I’m glad in the last set we pulled together as a team and went in with confidence,” sophomore Tatum Clay said.

One of the Black Hawks' team mottos this season has been “start strong, finish stronger.”

The players took that message to heart after the adversity they faced when they thought they had the third set won.

“Now that we’d lost the third set, it just made us want to win even more,” Amarillas said.

The Black Hawks were playing without two of their starters tonight, but they were able to adapt.

“Those players that we missed tonight are very valuable players, but I’m glad we still pulled together and we could roll with the punches and still pull out the win,” Clay said.

Hiapo said the lineup changes will help in the long run.

“It was fun seeing girls adapt to different positions and come through,” Hiapo said.

Williams Field has a very well-rounded team with a lot of different pieces playing a role.

Statistical leaders for the Black Hawks this season have been Micah Gardner with 101 kills, Cadie Fischer with 134 receptions, Tallia Benson with 282 assists, Clay with 40 blocks, and Amarillas with 115 digs and 30 serving aces.

The Black Hawks travel to face Cactus Shadows, who is currently struggling with a 1-3 record Friday.