Page 4 - 2020 AIA Volleyball Championship Program

6A: Top seeds seek end To droughT
no. 1 perry, no. 2 hAmilTon sTrive for TiTle breAkThrough
By Les Willsey AZPreps365.com
The top-seed in the 2020 6A state volleyball tournament is Perry High. For good reason.
The Pumas completed an unbeaten regular season last week. They did so with their 12th sweep in 15 matches, knock- ing off 2019 5A champion Sunnyslope in three sets. Sunnyslope moved up to 6A this year. Perry’s appearance at state will be its eighth in a row after the program struggled its first five years with no playoff appearances.
Current coach Fred Mann was installed in 2013 and wins and a gradual climb in the playoffs has taken hold. A first-round loss in 2013, quarterfinal losses 2014-2016, semifinal defeats 2017 and 2018 and last year’s trip to the final for the first time.
Nothing was more heartbreaking than the finals loss last year in five-sets to Basha. Perry was up two sets to none and had four chances at match point in the third set. The Pumas lost that set and the next two, allowing Basha to celebrate a first champi- onship.
All that is left is to finish is what it nearly attained last year. Will that be tricky? It shouldn’t be. Among its 15 wins are victo- ries over six top-10 schools - Hamilton (twice), Highland, Moun- tain View, Xavier (twice), Desert Vista and Chandler (twice). Only one match went five sets and that was Perry’s marquee win of the season, 3-2 over Hamilton. Perry trailed in the match 2-1 and was behind 24-19 in the fourth set. The Pumas rolled up their sleeves and evened the match with an 8-1 closing run. They took the fifth set, again rallying from a late deficit (11-9) to win, 15-13.
Perry didn’t break in many newcomers to its lineup in forg- ing its perfect season to date. Far from it. Back are senior Jenna Heller (setter), senior Ella Rud (outside hitter), senior Makayla Long (middle blocker) and junior Jordan Suan (libero). Senior Al- yssa Montoya (outside hitter) returned from a partial season due to injury last year. Rud is this year’s kills leader with Montoya right behind. Sophomore Avery Burks became a starter as hitter after watching from the bench much of last year. Senior Maddie Mayginnes, like Burks, has filled in credibly as a middle with a full season of time this season.
The No. 2 seed is a perennial contender, yet no champion- ship trophy in its case - Hamilton. The Huskies are 13-2 heading to state with their only losses to Perry. Since current coach Sharon Vanis took over in 2005, the Huskies have qualified for state every year (16 years in a row). Their chances at titles came quicker in Vanis’ tenure with a semifinal appearance in 2009 and finals visits in 2010, 2013 and 2014. It’s been staccato since with quarters finishes in 2015, 2017 and 2019 and semis in 2016 and 2018. The three championship appearances all ended in five-
set losses - to Xavier Prep in 2010 and 2013 and Desert Vista in 2015.
Hamilton has defeated six top-10 teams this season - High- land, Sandra Day O’Connor, Mountain View, Pinnacle, Xavier (twice) and Chandler (twice).
Hamilton’s lineup is as formidable and a bit more experi- enced in playing time as Perry’s. Junior outside hitters Jordan Middleton and Micah Gryniewicz are the attack leaders with senior Jahara Campbell right with them. Rounding out the play- ers who have been two-year starters for the Huskies are senior setter Diana Ethridge and junior libero Tatum Thomas.
Perry coach Fred Mann (center) chats with his team after the match vs. Sunnyslope that capped an unbeaten regular season. (AZ- Preps365 photo)