6A Semi Finals Recap – Casteel Vs Xavier

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The stage was set for a high-stakes showdown in the 6A Arizona volleyball state semifinals, and the action absolutely delivered with some intense rallies and unbelievable plays. On one side of the bracket, No. 2 seed <strong>Corona del Sol</strong> faced off against with No. 3 <strong>Hamilton</strong>, renewing a heated rivalry with a spot in the championship on the line. On the other side, top-seeded <strong>Xavier College Prep</strong> looked to defend its dominance against an impressive No. 4 <strong>Casteel</strong> squad determined to rewrite the bracket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Packed gyms, powerhouse programs, and momentum plays defined a semifinal round that showcased some of the very best volleyball in the state. We had eyes on the Xavier and Casteel match to bring you all the action.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Who were the standouts and what happened? Read on to learn more. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Casteel Vs. Xavier</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams turned the semifinal into a showcase of rising stars and veteran leaders, with freshmen debuting under pressure and seniors chasing one last shot at a state title. [player_tooltip player_id='808215' first='Kamille' last='Scott'] set the tone early, keeping the Colts alive with her composed lefty swings, even while being out of system, while [player_tooltip player_id='412848' first='Brooke' last='Harwood'] applied pressure from the service line with timely aces in the first set. However, shaken to start the Gators sure know how to remain composed under pressure. The front row came up huge as [player_tooltip player_id='593870' first='Annabelle' last='Ross'] sealed the first set, throwing down a massive block for the 25–19 finish. The Xavier middles were dominant all night for the Gators. It was evident the Colts were doing their best to avoid them. Keeping the Xavier defense out of system, but [player_tooltip player_id='874765' first='Selah' last='O'Connor'] and [player_tooltip player_id='544566' first='Vivian' last='Hickman'] responded with some insane defense from the right back, keeping the offense powerful under [player_tooltip player_id='534541' first='Mattea' last='Saunders'] assists and Tessa attacking fearlessly out of the back row, they carried that rhythm into Set 2.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Colts jumped out to a 6–1 lead with [player_tooltip player_id='509700' first='Izzie' last='Penrose'] serving tough, and [player_tooltip player_id='806574' first='Madisyn' last='Crnjac'] extended the run to 8–3 by consistently finding holes—mixing high hands and smart shots off the block. But Xavier wasn't going anywhere. [player_tooltip player_id='885088' first='Sahmone' last='Wadsworth'] came alive with three straight kills to tighten things to 7–10, followed by a big block on Amare Frazier to make it 8–10. Still, the Colts pushed ahead again behind more blocking and a kill to stretch it to 14–10. [player_tooltip player_id='520375' first='Fara' last='Bronson'] was incredible, flying around the court not only running a great offense, but acted aggressive on blocks and touch deflections that slowed everything down for the defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Xavier rallied late behind [player_tooltip player_id='593870' first='Annabelle' last='Ross'], who tied the set at 20–20 and delivered a clutch swing to even it at 21–21. [player_tooltip player_id='806574' first='Madisyn' last='Crnjac'] continued answered to put the Colts up 22–21, and [player_tooltip player_id='874765' first='Selah' last='O'Connor'] followed with a kill for 23–22. But back-to-back hitting errors gave the Colts set point at 24–23—only for Xavier to flip the momentum entirely. Two serve-receive errors opened the door, and Xavier surged back to steal the set 26–24 with the poise of a team that's been here before.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Riding the momentum, the Gators opened Set 3 with a 4–0 lead. The Colts chipped away, pulling within 12–10 as [player_tooltip player_id='509700' first='Izzie' last='Penrose'] led the charge on defense never giving up, despite the 0-2 set deficit. [player_tooltip player_id='886814' first='Saydie' last='Vega'] and [player_tooltip player_id='826214' first='Evelyn' last='Thompkins'] propelled the energy back with three blocks in a row, cutting it to 15–18 and forcing a Xavier timeout. [player_tooltip player_id='774402' first='Tessa' last='Larkin'] crushed a massive swing from the back row to make it 19–16, and Madi's sharp placement tightened it again to 20–19 before another back-row attack from Larkin stretched Xavier's lead to 21–19. Even then, Madi refused to fade—showing senior grit to bring it to 21–20.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='874765' first='Selah' last='O'Connor']'s ace ignited one last push, bringing the Colts within striking distance at 23–20. Iin the end, Xavier closed it out and secured the win—continuing their pursuit of defending their state championship title. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">What's Next? </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> With another shot at a state title on the line for this talented team, they look to defeat Corona Del Sol who defeated Hamilton 3-0 in the semi final matchup. Xavier is in a class of their own and continues to push the standard of Arizona volleyball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The finals will be held at Veterans Memorial Coliseum at 7:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased <a href="https://gofan.co/event/5242217">here.</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->