Season previews for volleyball, swimming, golf, badminton, cross country and soccer.
The echoes of squeaking sneakers, ricocheting volleyballs and cheering teammates bounced down the hallways well before you even reached the doors of the gym.
On Wednesday, Phoenix Xavier College Prep, Chandler Basha and Phoenix Sunnyslope all met with host Chandler Hamilton for a four-team scrimmage. Playing round-robin style on two neighboring courts in the Hamilton gymnasium, it was an exciting chance for the squads to get new looks from different teams.
“It’s just nice to finally play a team that’s not ourselves,” Sunnyslope coach Amber LeTarte said. “There’s a lot of jitters for our first game, but it was awesome because they were able to battle and get through that, and they looked a lot more comfortable in their game throughout the night.”
While no official score was kept, the high-energy matches were still an exciting taste of what’s to come this season in high school volleyball.
The day ended with two of last year’s champs facing each other: Xavier, which went 40-3 on its way to the 6A title, and Sunnyslope, which took the 5A title, its fourth in seven years.
Coaches each made a list of fundamentals to focus on before the season kicks off next week. Their takeaways were that it’s still early, and they have a lot to tweak. Each squad was also continuing to evaluate new players as it looked to fill holes left by 2018 graduating seniors.
“We had a group of seniors that were just super solid as a unit. They were friends since third grade,” LeTarte said of her program.
“I think establishing who are we this year, that’s a big thing.
“We have younger players and a younger team overall. That’s a difference, and I think it will be confidence building.”
Of course, LeTarte is not the only coach working with a revamped roster.
Tempe Corona del Sol has lost standout Brooke Nuneviller, who will be playing on the beach and the hardwood at Oregon. Xavier graduated Lanie Wagner, who last season averaged 4.5 kills per set. Phoenix Mountain Pointe has to fill the vacuum of Gabby Leo, who set multiple school records in her time there.
As she weaves in younger players, Basha head coach Terri Spann was happy to have her team be tested this early. Basha finished 24-19 last season and was knocked out in the first round of the 6A tournament. Spann believes throwing her team right back into competition can only help.
“The thing I love about playing powerhouse programs like Xavier, Sunnyslope and Hamilton is you know exactly what you need to work on against the best, to be able to compete against the best,” Spann said.
“I’m super excited about the level of competition we’re playing out. We’re playing high above the net. These athletes are starting to get it, and it’s clicking, and it’s fun.”
Each team was focused inward on Wednesday, but once they all start to look ahead to their opponents, they’ll notice some differences.
Chaparral and Queen Creek have moved up to 6A. Scottsdale Horizon moved down to 5A. With those changes, teams have also seen some adjustments to their schedules. A lot of that comes down to facing familiar foes during the regular season, as opposed to having to wait until the postseason.
Xavier junior captain Bri McKnight didn’t hesitate when asked about what matches she’s looking forward to.
“Mountain Pointe,” she said. “I’m definitely excited for that because we never play them in-season. We always either play them in a side tournament or state (tournament). We get to see Mountain Pointe and Corona (del Sol) in-season, so that’s really exciting.”
Xavier and Mountain Pointe played just once last season, in the Gilbert Invitational Tournament, where Mountain Pointe took the 2-0 win. However, Mountain Pointe fell to Corona del Sol in the semifinals of the 6A tournament and had to watch from home while Xavier won it all.
Though Xavier has some fresh hardware, the team is not complacent. Players looked sharp on Wednesday, with McKnight and seniors Ashley Yeung and Shannon Shields all playing well.
“It’s a new year, so we can’t rest on our laurels,” Xavier head coach LamarRenee Bryant said.
“We have to come to play every single day.”