Mesa defeated Skyline in three sets on Tuesday to secure its seventh straight girls’ volleyball 6A region championship.

 

Mesa entered play with the best region record (9-0) and Skyline held the second best (8-1). It was essentially a region championship deciding match.

 

Since Mesa had already beaten Skyline once this season (3-2), the Jackrabbits only needed to win two sets to clinch the title.

 

Mesa won the first set 25-22. After being down 15-5 at one point, Skyline rallied back to make the score 24-17. Skyline then scored five straight points putting some pressure on Mesa before the Jackrabbits escaped with the win.

 

Having won the first set, Skyline’s only chance at the region championship was to win three straight sets to take the match. Skyline put up another admirable effort but eventually fell by the same score 25-22 in the second set. Mesa clinched its seventh straight region title.

 

Mesa would go on to get the sweep by a score of 25-18 in the third set.

 

“I am really proud of them,” Mesa head coach Amy Strawn said. “To beat that team in three is huge.”

 

With a 14-3 overall record and a rank of seven, prior to the final rankings, it is the highest finishing team in Strawn’s tenure at Mesa.

 

As long as Mesa doesn’t go down in the rankings, it will be the first time Mesa has hosted a first-round playoff game under Strawn.

 

Despite its strong performance throughout the season, Strawn said there is still some things that need to be corrected.

 

“We’ve got some work to do if we are going to challenge,” Strawn said. “The first-round team is going to be really good and we have to clean some things up.”

 

Mesa has been led all season by its senior captain and Iowa State commit, Annie Hatch. Hatch has seen her fair share of the playoffs and said this team is a little bit different than others she has played on.

 

“We play really well together as a team and are very close knit,” Hatch said. “I’m really excited to see what we can do [in the playoffs].”

 

As for Skyline, the Coyotes finished this season with the school's best ever region record (8-2). Due to a rough stretch at the start of the season, Skyline finished with a 9-8 overall record.

 

However, the Coyotes will still have a shot at the playoffs. The Coyotes were ranked 17th prior to the final rankings and in girls’ volleyball the top 24 teams get a chance at the “play-in” tournament. As long as Skyline doesn’t drop out of the top 24, they will still make the bracket.

 

In only two years, Skyline head coach Venese Hiapo has drastically improved the program. But Hiapo gives the credit to her team.

 

“For them doing what they did in less than two years and just getting in contention for the region title is amazing.” Hiapo said.

 

Skyline’s performance throughout the season may have come as a surprise to some as the Coyotes roster looks very different this year compared to last year.

 

“With only two true starters returning from last year’s group and with a bunch of new girls and two starting freshmen, I think they did amazing,” Hiapo said.

 

Skyline may not be certain of its seeding or if it will even make the playoffs but Hiapo knows one thing for sure.

 

“These girls are very resilient and they’re fighters and I have no doubt they are going to do that… and come back.”