Shea Garrett is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Marcos de Niza High School for AZPreps365.com.

TEMPE-- The Marcos de Niza High School girl’s volleyball team had an emotional match against Saguaro High School on Thursday. Although it was Marcos de Niza’s (MdN) last home match, the Padres lost in five sets to the Saguaro Sabercats. 

The set results were 27-25, 25-27, 25-17, 23-25, 17-15 starting with a Sabercat win.

This was a major match for the Padres. Not only was it senior night, but the Padres were also stuggling with a change in coaches with only three games left in the season.

Steve Hammond took over the program on Tuesday after Kerry Morgan submitted her resignation. The team only held one practice with coach Hammond, the situation being a learning curve for the athletes.

Prior to being promoted to head coach, Hammond was coaching the freshman team. In the spring, Hammond also coaches the boy’s volleyball squad so this match wasn’t uncharted territory for him.

“The biggest thing I tried to get the girls to invest in today was don’t play for your coach, play for your teammates,” Hammond stated. “They have been by your side all season and I have not.” 

All five of the sets were close, each team scoring consistently until there was a winner. Within the first set, MdN had a heated start. The Padres quickly scored three points and carried the lead for the beginning of the set. The Sabercats scored using strong spikes to weaker sections of the Padres’ formation. Although the score was tied for a majority of the set, the Sabercats scored their last points by spiking the ball over the line to win the set, 27-25.

Emma Orndorfs spikes the ball over the net (Shea Garrett/AZPreps365)

The second set resembled the first, with back-to-back scoring by both teams. This set was more consistent. No team led by more than one point until the end of the set. The score was tied 25-25 when Padre captain Emma Orndorf spiked twice to win the set 27-25.

Entering the third set, the Sabercats were playing exceptionally well. They were making quick and tough plays for the Padres to keep up with, resulting in an 11-4 lead for the Sabercats. The Padres, however, rebounded by adapting to the Sabercats’ hard spikes. The Padres strategically used Orndorf to spike the ball at the other team. 

“It really depends on the set,” Orndorf commented. “If it’s tight I’m definitely going for my kill.” The team relied on Orndorf to spike the ball for an almost always guaranteed quick point for the Padres.

Due to the lack of Padres’ communication when calling for the ball, the Sabercats won this set, 25-17.

The Padres returned stronger in the fourth set, using more communication, something upon which coach Hammond insisted. Junior Zoey Arner served five times in a row, allowing MdN to take a 12-7. Although the Sabercats made a comeback scoring four times back-to-back, it wasn’t enough for them to win the set. The Padres won the set, 25-23, tying the match 2-2.

Both teams brought the Arizona heat into the Padre gym as the last set was the most intense. Each team used the maximum amount of ball movement in their plays, leaving the other team unaware of when the ball would be in their court, literally. The set was tied up until the last few points of the game. 

When the scoreboard lit up 15-15, something shifted in the Sabercats plays. They became more powerful. The Sabercats led the score 16-15 after a close call on their end. The crowd was nearly silent and the only noise identifiable in the gym was the ball leaving the outside hitter Sabercat’s hand when she spiked the ball for the clinching point in the 17-15 fifth set win. 

The Padres rushed to the locker room to discuss the next move for the team, and when they reentered the gym, all of the seniors were in tears. Not because of this loss, but because of the fight they put in this season and saying goodbye to their home court.