Dan Allison is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mountain Pointe High School for AZPreps365.com

In its final home meet of the season, Mountain Pointe fell to Willow Canyon, 5-4, on Friday afternoon.

Mountain Pointe, now 5-8 on the season after it was coming off a home win against Marcos de Niza High School, has one more game left in the season. 

Willow Canyon, who came into Mountain Pointe fostering a eight game win streak, presented the Pride a tall task to take down as the Wildcats fight for the top of the Phoenix division.

Friday’s meet opened up with the Pride taking four out of the six singles matches. Sophomores Lauryn Chavez and Leilani Chavez each won in three sets, while sophomore Jazmine Contreras and senior Haylei Aspaas swept their matches in two.

“In my first set, I felt really prepared,” Aspaas said, “I think my mental error was laying back in my second set, because the score should not have been as close as it was.”

Aspaas notched her sixth singles win of the season, moving her to a 10-16 personal record on the year. She took down Sophia Bell of Willow Canyon, winning 21-7 and 22-20. 

Contreras joined Aspaas in the sweep column, winning in two sets for the third time in her four singles wins on the season. Leilani Chavez’s three-set win pushed her overall record to 4-4 on the year, with Lauryn Chavez moving her solo record to 7-6. 

Mountain Pointe held a 4-2 lead heading into the doubles matches.

Senior Ella Graves and Sophomore Evita Delgado headed into doubles with one goal in mind: to make up for their singles losses with a doubles win.

“I know my partner (Graves) has my back and I have hers,” Delgado said, “Most of my shots in singles work well in the doubles courts. So just using that to my advantage and having each other's backs.” 

Unfortunately for Delgado and the Pride, they couldn't outlast Willow Canyon. Mountain Pointe dropped all three of its doubles matches. Willow Canyon swept every match, giving them the three points needed to secure the 5-4 comeback meet victory.

“A lot of my shots were too strong,” Graves said, “So I was pushing shots a lot over the backline. I adjusted a bit in the second.”

Graves and Delgado, who are coming off back-to-back wins in their last two double pairings, lost to Savannah Herzog and McKenna Lee of Willow Canyon, 21-16 and 21-8.

“I know the adjustments that we have to make,” Delgado said, “I know how my competitors work, so we just have to make those mental adjustments.”

Mountain Pointe will look to avenge their loss and end their year on a high note as they finish their season against Tempe High School. Following the school’s fall break, the Pride and the Buffaloes will meet in Tempe on Oct. 11th.