Southern 4A Finals : More Than One Way to Score

The excitement and nerves were evident from the first serve as Desert Oasis and Sierra Vista battled through five sets in the Southern 4A final. The first three sets were each decided by two points, and Desert Oasis rallied from a 2–1 deficit to win 28–26, 23–25, 25–27, 25–21, 15–10. With both defenses making kills hard to come by, several attackers stood out for finding more than one way to score. They scored down the line, used the block, and turned tough sets into kills with roll shots and tips.    Gidge scored down the line and cross court from both pins throughout the five-set match. On one of her best plays, she dug the ball after her own swing was blocked, reset for another approach, and put the next ball away against a double block. She also contributed digs and blocks and put pressure on Desert Oasis from the service line. In the deciding set, she was still finding different ways to score, placing a tip for one kill and putting another ball away from the right side.     Hartstrom scored with hard swings down the line and used the block to pick up kills. She mixed in roll shots to change the pace of her attack. She adjusted quickly to the set, finding ways to score even when the ball took away her full swing. She also contributed digs, blocks, and aces. With the third set tied at 25–25, Hartstrom put a ball away down the line to give Sierra Vista the lead on its way to a 27–25 set win.     Pauulu-Finley was active at the net on both sides of the ball. She recorded multiple blocks and got touches that slowed Desert Oasis' attacks. On one play, she read the setter's dump attempt and redirected the ball into the corner. Her quick ones through the middle stood out most. She scored on that play multiple times, and Desert Oasis struggled to stop it even as Sierra Vista kept going back to her.     Quinto was one of my top players in the match, contributing from both the front and back rows. Her defense kept rallies alive, and her shot selection at the net stood out most. She mixed hard swings with roll shots and tips, even switching to a tip in midair on one play. When the block was in position, she repeatedly used the blockers' hands to turn those swings into kills. She kept finding points in the fifth set, placing one ball in the corner and putting another away from the right side.     Allen made an impact in both the front and back rows. She stayed active on defense, getting to balls in the back row that kept several rallies alive. On offense, she mixed hard swings down the line with cross-court attacks. Desert Oasis went back to her multiple times during extended rallies, and she kept swinging aggressively. On match point, Allen went up strong against the block, and the ball dropped on Sierra Vista's side to clinch the win for Desert Oasis.     Rogers gave Desert Oasis a scoring option on the right side and contributed blocks and touches at the net. She found kills by going to the deep corner and tipping off the block. She also showed she could cut the ball deep inside, though Sierra Vista dug that attack. In the fourth set, she turned an off-target set into a kill with a roll shot from the right side. When another set was off target, she adjusted again and scored with a push tip.     Burns showed two ways to score from the middle. In the second set, she spotted open space and pushed tips into it for kills. In the third, she switched to quick attacks behind the setter and put those balls away. She also contributed a block in the opening set. What stood out was how she could slow the ball down with a tip or speed up the attack with a back one.

The excitement and nerves were evident from the first serve as Desert Oasis and Sierra Vista battled through five sets in the Southern 4A final. The first three sets were each decided by two points, and Desert Oasis rallied from a 2–1 deficit to win 28–26, 23–25, 25–27, 25–21, 15–10. With both defenses making kills hard to come by, several attackers stood out for finding more than one way to score. They scored down the line, used the block, and turned tough sets into kills with roll shots and tips.

Averie Gidge

OH/RS

HEIGHT 6'1"

POS OH/RS

CLASS 2029

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Averie Gidge

State: Nevada

School: Sierra Vista

Club: Vegas Aces 14 REN

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Presley Hartstrom

NV #29

OH/DS/L #12

HEIGHT 5'10"

POS OH/DS/L

CLASS 2027

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Presley Hartstrom

State: Nevada

School: Sierra Vista

Club: Dig This

Hartstrom scored with hard swings down the line and used the block to pick up kills. She mixed in roll shots to change the pace of her attack. She adjusted quickly to the set, finding ways to score even when the ball took away her full swing. She also contributed digs, blocks, and aces. With the third set tied at 25–25, Hartstrom put a ball away down the line to give Sierra Vista the lead on its way to a 27–25 set win.