Andrew Evans is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Coronado High School for AZPreps365.com

Coronado defeated Yuma at home in straight sets, 25-23, 25-11, 25-16, on Wednesday.

The Dons ended a six-game losing streak and improved to 3-8 overall and 1-3 in 4A Black Canyon regional play. The Criminals (0-10) have yet to win a match.

For Coronado head coach Alex Smothers, the positive energy displayed by his team is what stood out, bouncing back strong.

“We’ve been in a little bit of a rut. We got some injuries, but we got some players back. So it’s good to have the full team back,” Smothers said. “I think that’s what really energized us, being cohesive again because that’s what this season has really been about — being one big team and having that cohesiveness no matter if we are down by 20 or up by 20.”

The Dons came out strong in the first set on a 8-4 lead and maintained a sizable margin. Yuma junior Lilyann Connell's four aces in the first set kept their Criminals' competitivens, but the Dons ultmately won the first set by two. 

It was a different story in the second and third. The Dons took an 8-1 advantage, then a 9-4 lead in the second and third, respectively, and never looked back.

As the Dons continued to land more serves (nine missed serves in the first set and seven between the second and third), they won points quicker and easier.

“Learning from our mistakes in the first set, we were able to work it into the second and third sets, especially with our covering and our serving,” said Coronado senior Chandara Louis (four aces) said. 

Coronado's victory was a product of hard work behind the scenes during their skid.

“We watch film regularly, and we all see what the team needs to improve on. We give each other advice and during practice, we work really hard,” Coronado junior Tracey Rodriguez Ortiz said. 

There is a belief among the Dons that they can pick up some momentum for the home stretch of six matches remaining the season. 

“It gives us a lot of energy. We want to win more and more,” Ortiz said. As for coach Smothers, the theme was a lot of the same, “We’re looking forward to the end of the season, we have some tougher games ahead, but we also have some easier games. It will be about finding that balance, and playing good all of the time.”

The Dons' next match is against Desert Sunrise on October 14, following their fall break.