Phoenix Christian (6-0) looks to remain undefeated at the second-ranked Phoenix Country Day on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at 5 p.m.

The Cougars are coming off a thrilling five-set victory over the Highland Prep Honey Badgers on Monday. After winning the first set, the Cougars lost the following two and were put on their heels. They rallied to win the fourth set, 25-23, and the fifth set, 16-14.

Phoenix Christian head coach Anissa Edouard is looking to build off of the momentum ahead of their tough matchup.

“The girls like to refer to it as the ‘Cougar Pride’. So that’s that determination and tenacity that they have to pull through,” Edouard said.

Phoenix Country Day (7-1) presents a tough matchup. Last year, the Eagles went 16-1 overall and finished as the second-ranked team in the 2A rankings. This will be Phoenix Christian’s first game outside of their region this season. Edouard understands the challenge but believes the Cougars are prepared.

“In terms of preparation, I think we’re gonna focus on defense and playing our own game,” Edouard said. “We treat every game the same.”

The centerpiece of the Cougars' offense is senior setter Nancy Felix. Senior Brooklynne Blake, a longtime friend of Felix, talked about their chemistry on and off the court.

“Me and Nancy communicate really well. I try to cover her when she’s setting as best as possible, and we’re just really good friends,” Blake said.

Blake was a member of the team last year and said that a larger focus on defense has led to better passing and attacks. She also understands the importance of Wednesday’s game and had a message for some of the younger players on the team.

“My message to the younger kids would probably be, just stay positive through the whole thing, and try to encourage each other,” Blake said.

Similarly, senior Aurora Grimwade, the team’s leading attacker and one of its leaders, spoke about the benefits of having strong teammate support.

“We are kind of a young team,” Grimwade said. “We depend on each other and we feed off each other.”

Grimwade led the Cougars with six kills in their matchup against the Honey Badgers. With this being Edouard’s first year as head coach of the Cougars, she feels that Grimwade, and other leaders, have been crucial to the success of the team.

“The leaders and seniors on the team are really the ones that have been able to provide me constructive feedback,” Edouard said. “The more that they start to trust you, the more they start to believe in you … the more that the wins come.”

Grimwade understands the challenge ahead but is looking to build off of Monday’s victory and is confident in the team’s ability to come out on top.

“We know we are going against a harder team (on Wednesday),” Grimwade said. “Hopefully, off the momentum of the win, we can keep pushing and striving to get the dub.”