Addison Lenhart is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication student assigned to cover Sandra Day O’Connor for AZPreps365.com

Casteel’s girls volleyball team overcame a 2-1 deficit to defeat Sandra Day O’Connor in five sets on Monday, 18-25, 25-17, 16-25, 25-18, 15-8, to advance to the  6A semifinals. 

It was a back-and-forth affair as each squad took one of the first two sets to begin the match. O’Connor secured a convincing third-set victory, but was unable to carry that momentum into the fourth. 

The Eagles trailed 6-5 before surrendering 10 straight points to fall behind 16-5, a deficit that proved to be insurmountable. 

O’Connor, the No. 5 seed,  jumped out to a 4-2 lead to begin the fifth behind the strong play of senior Leylah Duran. Duran tallied a block, a kill and an ace to power the Eagles to the early lead.  

Casteel, the No. 4 seed, responded with six consecutive points  to take an 8-4 advantage.

O’Connor was able to cut the deficit to 9-7, managing three kills, but the Colts answered back with a four-point run, which was too much for the Eagles to overcome. 

“I think our girls did a good job staying focused and not letting the being down part ruin us,” Casteel coach Brenna Klingenberg said. “I think we came back with stronger serves and we actually started passing a lot better, which kept us in rhythm." 

Casteel took the fifth set 15-8, capping an impressive comeback victory for the Colts. Sophomore Saydie Vega was crucial for the Colts, coming up with four kills in the fourth set, and adding another late in the fifth. 

Evelyn Thompkins was key defensively for Casteel, totaling four blocks in the fourth set alone.     

It was the second meeting between the two programs this season. O’Connor took the first meeting in four sets during the regular season. Klingenberg noted the challenges O’Connor presented to her squad. 

 “They definitely had some good serving,” Klingenberg said. “Just swinging to the deep corners, they were good at that. In the first matchup I had two players not play, and now she has a new player that came back, so kind of a different matchup.” 

O’Connor has relied heavily on underclassmen this season and the story was no different on Monday. 

In addition to Duran’s solid performance, sophomores Anabelle Cummings and Alayah Krein played large roles for the Eagles. Cummings, playing in the libero position, had several key digs to keep plays alive for the Eagles while Krein had seven kills of her own and an ace. 

Despite the defeat, Krein believes herself and the program will continue to improve. 

“I think losses are like lessons, so this is a good lesson,” Krein said. “We need to start strong, and stay strong throughout, while remembering to stay connected. In the future this will help us stay together and finish.” 

O’Connor coach Amanda Burbridge thought her team played well in the defeat.

“I thought our energy was good, I thought we executed certain things pretty well,” Burbridge said. “Little things here and there but when it’s the playoffs and you lose in five, it is what it is.”

Burbridge noted the growth of her squad throughout the season. 

“I think we’ve always been exceeding a little bit of our own expectations,” Burbridge said. “They did well and anytime an underclassman gets an experience like this, it’s going to build their knowledge of the game.”     

Casteel (29-10) will play in the 6A semifinals against top-seeded Xavier Prep (33-2) on Thursday.