Jessica Poole is a Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Thunderbird High School for AZPreps365.com

After a tough first set, the Thunderbird Titans turned up their offense Wednesday night and coasted past the Barry Goldwater Bulldogs in straight sets.

Excluding tournaments, it was the eight straight victory for the Titans (8-2, 3-0), who are chasing their their third consecutive region title.

The host Bulldogs (5-5, 0-3) have now lost four sraight matches.

Despite the Bulldogs jumping ahead early on Wednesday the Titans showcased their resilience, winning 25-20, 25-9, 25-14.

“We definitely started slow and a little timid,” Titans coach Carly Price said. “I think the mental aspect is really big for us. Sometimes we get in our heads too much about knowing the team too well, because we played a lot of these teams over and over again.”

The Titans, fueled by recent tournament wins, came in confident, underestimating the Bulldogs.

In the first set, the Bulldogs seized control, taking the lead at 15-13, prompting three intense timeouts to regroup.

“They got spoken to in the huddle about being disciplined, consistent, and a little more aggressive,” Price said. "We were trying to get them to start the game as strong as they possibly can. And a lot of it comes down to mental toughness.

“What we have been working on in practice was not showing, and that it shouldn't take this much time for them to flip a switch.”

The momentum swung in favor of the Titans as they powered through to a strong finish, closing with a 25-20 victory.

The Titans came out firing in the second set, scoring first and dominating throughout, holding their lead and closing, 25-9.

Junior Bailey Thornton lit up the second set with a series of aces, fueling the Titans’ momentum and carrying that energy into the third set.

“We started out a little slow and a little flat, but as the night progressed, we continued to get better,” Thornton said. "We amped up our energy and our play all together as a team."

The Titans struck first again in the third set, building an early lead. Desperate to halt their momentum, the Bulldogs called for a timeout at 13-5, hoping to turn the tide.

Titans senior Hayven Lick, fresh off breaking the school record with a career milestone of 1,000 kills, dominated with a flurry of kills, sealing the set with an impressive 25-14 finish.

“I think we just were in our heads,” Lick said. “We needed to be more disciplined, play our game, and stop reacting. We just had to calm down.

The Titans showcased their ability to overcome a slow start and dominate in the final sets.

As they inch closer to their third regional title, the Titans remain focused on maintaining their undefeated region record, determined to keep improving with every match.