Ben Davis is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Cactus Shadows High School for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX — The unbeaten girls volleyball squad at Cactus Shadows found themselves tested more than in any game since their season opener against Paradise Honors. After dropping the first two sets Monday night, the Falcons displayed impressive grit, sweeping the Arcadia Titans in the final three sets to complete a thrilling comeback victory.

Coach Jeff Dumbrell, in his debut year at Cactus Shadows, noted before the match that preparing his team for success required a period of adjustment for everyone involved.

“Preparation in the offseason was really just getting the girls used to my fast-paced coaching style and practices,” Dumbrell said. “This is my first year here, so getting everyone to understand my coaching style — as well as our goals for the season — was a big part of our offseason prep.”

His efforts have paid off so far, as Cactus Shadows now has a  6–0 record and dominated their  three previous opponents with sweeps. However, their perfect record was on the line Monday night after losing the first two sets, 25–18 and 25–22.

Junior middle blocker Sammy Ryan said the Falcons remained optimistic that they could make a comeback.

“We wanted it more than them,” Ryan said. “We’re currently undefeated, and we wanted to stay that way.”

The Falcons rose to the occasion in the third set. After trading points early on, they secured a 2-1 lead on the third rally and never looked back, torching the Titans with a 25–19 win.

The fourth set started strong for the Falcons as they built a 6–2 lead, but as the midway point approached, the Falcons began to lose steam, and the Titans clawed their way into a 14-10  lead.

The set — and the match — looked over as Arcadia stood one point away from victory, leading 24–19. But through a resilient effort from Mateja Cousins and Karease Broeker, the Falcons battled back to 23-24. Just as momentum seemed firmly on Cactus Shadows’ side, a risky shot from Erin Ward was initially ruled out of bounds, sealing an apparent victory for Arcadia.

As the Titans celebrated, several Falcons rushed to the referees to plead their case. The call was then reversed, to the dismay of the Arcadia-heavy crowd. The Falcons capitalized on this opportunity and scored seven unanswered points to win the fourth set, 26–24.

The Falcons appeared to be the fresher team heading into the fifth set, but the Titans did not go  down easily. The score was tied on six different occasions before the all-senior trio of Cousins, Broeker, and Gabby Procopio posted nine combined points, sending the Falcons soaring to a 15–10 win and keeping their undefeated streak intact.

Despite his team’s win, Dumbrell gave credit to the Titans’ performance:

“I expected this from them, but they outperformed as well,” Dumbrell said. “Riley [Rooney], who is their outside hitter, is a stud who I’ve known for a long time and she’s very talented. But I was actually really impressed by their middles — they were shutting us down early on.”

Arcadia’s Riley Rooney had the Falcons on the ropes all night, acting as a constant offensive weapon with her ability to find unguarded zones in every set. Despite the tough loss, Rooney remained positive about her performance:

“I think I did well,” Rooney said. “I could have been a little smarter with some of the things I did, like mixing my shots up more, but overall, I felt good about my offense.” 

The Falcons return to action on Wednesday when they host  the Combs Coyotes (0-4) at 6 p.m.  

The Titans (2-3) will host  the ALA - CQ Patriots (3-1) at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Cactus Shadows and Arcadia will meet again on Sept. 29 at  Cactus Shadows.