EDITOR'S NOTE: To view the full 4A state championship volleyball bracket, click here.

It’s been more than a decade since the No. 1-ranked Flagstaff volleyball team has won a title after winning back-to-back crowns in 2012 and 2013 while in Division III.

And at least from the outside looking in, the Eagles appear to be title favorites when the 4A Volleyball State Championships get underway Nov. 7.

“I think we’re super strong this year. We have a strong set of players. We have three people in the front row that can dominate, and terminate the ball,” senior outside hitter Sophia Krassner said in early October.

Flagstaff (34-2, 12-0 4A Grand Canyon) is a perfect 17-0 in power point matches this season.

“I think we are where I wanted us to be at in terms of ability wise. We’re playing well, we’re playing good ball,” longtime head coach Beth Haglin said in October.

Haglin, who has led the Eagles for nearly 40 years during two different stints as coach, pointed to Lilly Hartman as one of the great junior players in the state of Arizona.

She leads the club with 431 kills, good enough for third overall in the state.

“She’s a great kid to have in our program, she works extremely hard. … We’re excited to have her for at least another year. But this year, she’s doing great, she works hard and hits the ball hard,” Haglin said.

The Eagles open the 4A state playoffs by hosting No. 16 St. Mary’s on Wednesday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m.

Salpointe Catholic volleyball poses for a photo during a tournament earlier this season. The Lancers are ranked No. 2 in the 4A Volleyball State Championships, which begin Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Salpointe Catholic Athletics/Courtesy)

NO. 2 SALPOINTE CATHOLIC

The Lancers (26-10, 7-1 4A Kino) claimed their region title and a No. 2 seed heading into the state playoffs, but a late-season 3-1 loss to Mica Mountain (ranked No. 4) gave their team something to think about over the past week.

Salpointe Catholic’s one-two punch in Ashlyn Quiri and Kate Mobley led the team in kills with 186 and 167, respectively. The club will surely lean on them to get rolling again in the playoffs having won eight straight prior to the loss.

“We’re going to need to face each opponent with respect and stat in the moment, and do a much better job of managing our side of the net in terms of unforced errors,” coach Keith Rubio said. “We need to side out at a high percentage and keep the unforced errors under five per set.”

The Lancers open with No. 15-seeded Bradshaw Mountain.

NO. 3 ESTRELLA FOOTHILLS

Sadie Snyder’s 365 kills is Top 6 in the state rankings this season in her return to form in 2024 has the Wolves (30-1, 10-0 4A West Valley) thinking of following up their 2022 state title with another one this week.

“For our team to win a state championship we are going to have to play consistently with great ball control,” Wolves coach Jennifer Gonzales said. “Minimal errors, and allow very few points given up by being able to side out right away.”

Estrella Foothills faces No. 14 Prescott.

NO. 4 MICA MOUNTAIN

Led by Addison Andrews’ 743 assists, good enough for Top 6 in the 4A state realm this year, Mica Mountain (23-10, 6-2 4A Kino) has plenty in the tank for a state championship run.

“In order for us to win a state championship, we are going to have to be focused and ready to play,” coach Amy Johnson said. “We talk about taking care of the easy things, serving and passing. It will take all of us to in on the same page. We need to create good energy and take care of the ball.”

Mica Mountain opens with ALA-Queen Creek.

TEAM NOTES

No. 5 Ironwood Ridge was 13-4 in power point games this season and face No. 12 Cactus Shadows in the opener. Kallie George led the team in kills with 315. … No. 6 Thunderbird features Hayven Lick as the top kills leader in 4A this year with 456. They face No. 11 Eastmark. … No. 7 Mesquite has four players with at least 103 kills this season, making it awfully difficult for No. 10 ALA-Gilbert North to gameplan, but ALA features a big hitter of their own in Kristyn Grantham with 448 kills, second behind only Lick in 4A. … No. 8 Saguaro faces No. 9 Sahuarita. These two claimed the 4A Desert Sky and Gila regions, respectively.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on X at @AzPreps365Brian or on Facebook at @Five2MediaWorks. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.