Hayden Cilley is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Deer Valley High School for AZPreps365.com

GLENDALE— Parents' night at Deer Valley High School came to a bitter end Thursday as the Skyhawks lost in five sets to the Cactus Cobras: 32-30, 25-18, 22-25, 23-25 and 13-15 in this 4A West Valley Region matchup.

After getting swept by No. 7 Notre Dame Prep on Tuesday, the eighth-ranked Skyhawks (11-4 entering the night) hoped to gain momentum before heading to the region tournament on November 4th. Deer Valley's earlier match against the Cobras this season had resulted in a 3-1 Skyhawk triumph.

Cactus (8-6, ranked 14th) looked to rewrite history as they came out firing from the get-go. “I give them a lot of credit,” Deer Valley head coach Jackie Wallace said. “They’re a great team and we let this one slip away.”

Despite the loss, there was a bright spot on the Skyhawks' performance, specifically with senior setter and captain Emee Fellens, along with junior outside hitter Sam Gloria. 

In the first set, Gloria registered the kill while Fellens had the assist that gave Deer Valley a 13-10 advantage. These two would continue to be leviathans for the Skyhawks during the match. Cactus, though, was tenacious and tied the game at 19-19. No team pulled away, as there was neve a two-point lead by either side until the 30-30 mark where the Skyhawks put their foot down and won the set, 32-30.

Everyone was on the edge of their seats, especially Bob Fellens, Emee's grandfather who was in attendance. “I’ve been watching her since she started playing club ball in fourth grade,” Fellens said. “She's gotten better every year. Emee even made the varsity team as a freshman, which is unheard of for a setter.” 

The second set would offer the same competitiveness but both teams looked gassed. The Skyhawks were tied at 6-6 but flipped the script with a 4-0 scoring run that fueled their performance. The Cobras tried to come back but their energy was zapped. Deer Valley would take a 13-9 lead after a Gloria kill and a Fellens assist. The rest of the set followed suit, as the Skyhawks won 25-18.

The third set looked as if a sweep was on the horizon, but that was far from the truth. Deer Valley got rolling early, taking a 9-6 lead with again, a Gloria kill and Fellens assist. Everything was with the blue-and-white until the set was tied at 17-17. The Cobras then struck more often and won the set 25-23.

As the fourth set rolled along, the the Deer Valley parents were flummoxed. Cactus started to separate before the halfway point, securing an 11-7 lead. The Skyhwawks scored three straight, a Gloria kill and a Fellens assist sparking the run. Alas, it was futile as the Skyhawks lost the set, 25-23. 

The final set rooted back to the competitiveness displayed in the first two sets by both teams. Neither side had more than a one point lead until the end of the set. Gloria and Fellens were both highlights of the set, with Gloria having three kills and Fellens having three assists. Even with their excellent play, Deer Valley was playing on fumes. Cactus took advantage, scoring two straight winning the set, 15-13 and winning the match, 3-2.

After losing back-to-back games, Coach Wallace was impressed with Fellens and Gloria for their performances. “Those two have been fantastic the entire season,” Wallace said. “They complement each other wonderfully and have stepped up leading this team.”

Fellens has 526 total assists out of Deer Valley's 668. She accounts for 78.7% of her team's assists and ranks 21st in the state in assists. Gloria has 332 kills out of 895 which accounts for 37.1% of the Skyhawks' kills and ranks 11th in the state in that category.

These two have been the bread and butter that’ll look to close out the season for the Skyhawks with a victory. Deer Valley takes on Barry Goldwater High School (0-9) “This game can give us our confidence back," said Wallace, "and get us excited for the tournament."