In a thrilling back-and-forth game, the Phoenix Christian Cougars volleyball team held on to beat the Gilbert Classical Academy Spartans for their first win in league play Thursday.

The Cougars lost both prior league matches against Leading Edge Academy and Chandler Prep, 3-1. This was not the start that first-year head coach Amanda Lopez had in mind.

However, Lopez was relieved to get that first league win.

“[It feels] really good," Lopez said. "I wish it had come a little earlier, but I’ll definitely take it.”

“I am really proud of what we accomplished,” said junior Cassidy Clifford. “It feels amazing. Our team stepped up to the plate and delivered.”

Clifford was just one of the many Cougars to have a major impact in the win. Senior captain Atlantis Jamerson dominated the Spartans despite having a rather slow and quiet first set. She finished with 14 kills, including back-to-back kills to take the lead in the second set, 19-17.

The second set was a major turning point in the game for the Cougars, who made a strong comeback effort in the first set, getting the score within three before losing the set 25-20.

After falling in the first set, Lopez’s message to her team was, “This is a region game, so it really does count. And we need to pick up the intensity.”

Jamerson got that message and continued to show why she was named captain by vocally pushing her team to the finish.

“I try and keep the same energy whether we are up by 10 or down by 10,” Jamerson said.           

In the second set, neither team could gain control of the game until Jamerson’s two kills swung momentum in Phoenix Christian’s way. Following that swing in momentum, sophomore Daisy Martinez stepped up and closed out the set with three strong serves to take it 26-24.

“It was a lot of pressure,” Martinez said. “But as soon as I focus on my target I’m fine.”

This energy Jamerson alluded to was kept up even as the Cougars squandered a 10-0 start in the third set, ultimately winning the set 25-22. 

“When we gave up the lead there was some worry about losing,” senior MeiLing Milgrim said.

Milgrim did her part to keep that from happening. She was all over the court doing everything from serving and killing on offense to blocking and digging on defense.

The Cougars jumped out to a big lead behind the strong serving of fellow captain Ainsley Ebert.

Ebert not only made her presence felt offensively with her strong serving, but also defensively with five blocks including one that clinched the third set for the Cougars.

The Cougars rolled through the Spartans, 25-19, in the fourth and final set.

Looking ahead to their next game, Lopez believes that the team still needs to work on keeping the lead when they have it, as well as serving consistantly.

The team also pointed to better communication. There were a handful of balls throughout the match that fell right between two Cougar defenders because no one called for the ball.

Phoenix Christian moved to 7-7 with a record of 1-2 in league play. These winning ways will have to continue if the Cougars want to make a run in the playoffs.

Phoenix Christian gets right back to work with a non-league game Friday night on the road against the 12-5 Rancho Solano Prep Mustangs. The Cougars' next league game comes on Tuesday when they host the Tempe Prep Knights.