Koby Braunstein is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Horizon Honors High School for AZPreps365.com.

The Horizon Honors Eagles seemingly has had one of the 2A conference's most impressive turnarounds this season.

After the Eagles (9-5) won three of their first four matches, they lost five straight matches, but are now on a five-game win streak and haven't dropped a set since Sept. 25 at home against Sedona Red Rock.

HH had its fifth straight sweep at Tempe Prep (25-17, 25-19, 25-12) on Monday, remaining undefeated at 6-0 in the 2A South region. They have a sets won-to-lost ratio of 52 to 32, with only one of those lost in regional play.

HH head coach Amanda Bors thought the team played their most complete match of the season.

“Overall we played really well,” Bors said. “Our serve-receive was really good, and it was probably our best hitting performance as a team. It was really good to see that coming into a big week.” 

The Eagles got off to a quick 6-2 start to open the first set that included a booming spike from junior middle hitter Delaney Lawson off a pass from junior setter Kobree Bartreau. Sophomore outside hitter Audrey Anglada and freshman middle hitter Jillian Housh combined on a block earlier in the point that barely guided the ball to trickle over the net and keep the point alive.

The Knights stormed back to even the score at six, but the Eagles then jumped out to a 13-6 advantage thanks to a seven-point outburst. They maintained the lead before sophomore middle hitter Kennedy Harbertson closed out the set with two kills in the final three points.

HH assistant coach David Dinardo was complimentary of the team’s ability to communicate and adapt to any situation on the fly.

“I liked their energy and the way they were playing together,” Dinardo said. “They were talking to one another well and covering each other’s backs the whole time.”

Junior outside hitter Sydney Kaman was a major difference down the stretch for the Eagles in the second set. She sent a pummeling kill down the middle that the Knights had no answer for at 21-18 and an ace to bump the score to set point.

Bors told Kaman after the match, “I think this was your best game that I’ve seen all season.” Kaman agreed.

“I think my hitting was really good today, and getting points off of that helped [energize] the team even more,” Kaman said. 

Harbertson has been a workhorse on the front line with devastating kills, textbook technique on blocks, and aggressive services. 

She was excellent against Sequoia Pathway last Thursday and took over the game in the third set against Tempe Prep with four kills. 

Harbertson along with Anglada anchored a 15-4 Eagles run to claim the set after initially being up 10-8. 

Bors sounded off on the sophomore duo.

“I told [Kennedy] going into the third set she needed more,” Bors said. “That’s what her team needs from her is to be more consistent and getting more kills, and she did that.”

“Audrey also stepped up. Her passing game and defense were one of the huge reasons why we played so well.”

The illness bug has continued to affect the depth of the Eagles, and it was tested once again with senior outside hitter Maci Crudele sidelined against the Knights. They are already down senior Co-captain and middle hitter Keleanie Binns for the season due to a knee injury.

Assistant coach Catherine McDowell, who played for Bors at Horizon Honors and graduated in 2022, is amazed at the growth of the program since she left.

“Having played with some of these girls when I was at [Horizon Honors], I would say the communication is way higher now,” McDowell said. “They play very well together and have a lot of good connections on the court.”

The Knights (13-7 overall) fell to 4-2 in Section 2A South and are now third in the region. They host St. Augustine Catholic (8-13 overall) on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. The Wolves are 1-6 in the region.

The Eagles face a stiff test in Chandler Prep (12-1 overall) on Wednesday, Oct. 18, who have an identical 2A South record of 6-0. The Titans are in first place as a result of their better overall record. 

Bors is expecting a “five-set battle” in the high-stakes matchup, and Harbertson can’t wait to electrify the home crowd in such an important match.

“I love the energy at [our] home gym,” Harbertson said. “Our crowd is a huge energizer. [It’s important] getting in the right mindset beforehand, doing our pregame hype cheers, … focusing on what can help us play together as a team, and getting so excited to go out and play our best game.” 

The Eagles and Titans go head-to-head again the following week in Chandler on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m.