Moira Ann Boyes is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Desert Vista High School.

On a night that honored those who have battled breast cancer, the Desert Vista Thunder made sure to show their fight.

Despite splitting the first two sets, Desert Vista, coming off a two-week break since its last game, lost 3-1 to the Sunnyslope Vikings in a 6A Central region matchup Tuesday.

Players from Desert Vista sported pink jerseys on Dig Pink Night in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Sunnyslope players also showed their support by wearing pink shirts during their warm up. The game was preceded by a ceremony in which the Thunder honored members of their community who have been affected by cancer. 

Going into the game, the Thunder trailed in the ultra competitive Central region with a conference record of 4-7. Sunnyslope, ranked third in the region, was chasing undefeated region/conference leaders Corona del Sol and Xavier Prep.

Every win matters as both teams try to climb in the conference ratings as the end of the season nears.

“We are in the toughest region since we have the one, two, four and six [conference-ranked teams], and my whole mentality and philosophy with the girls is that we just need to continue getting better every single day,” coach Audra Schnittger said. “I'm just trying to tell them anything can happen at the end of the season if we keep improving every day, keep working hard.”

The Thunder’s hard work showed during their first and second sets, splitting the sets but consistently keeping it close. Desert Vista only allowed a maximum of 3-0 runs by the Vikings in both sets, showing them up with their own 6-0 run to start the second set. This was largely due to the Thunder’s front row, which recorded seven stuffs in the match. 

Defense was a high point for Desert Vista in this match, with outside hitter Piper Garvin putting up 12 digs alongside libero Kalli Lipo, who had 11 digs of her own. 

The defense wasn’t alone in this one as the Thunder’s offense was rolling in the first two sets. Sophomore Maryella Owens led the charge with 10 kills in the match, joined by her fellow sophomores Sydney Singleton and Kenzie Maldonado, who recorded nine kills each. Those kills were crucial in keeping up Desert Vista’s energy. Each kill resulted in its own roaring applause from the bench and fans. 

“The first couple sets of the game were so much fun, and it was the best volleyball we've played. Everyone was just doing their own thing, and we were working together well as a team,” Owens said. 

Unfortunately for Desert Vista, the game began to unravel in the third set following several calls in the second set that didn’t go the Thunder’s way. Passion on the court was at an all-time high, but being able to react calmly when it matters is a pivotal piece of winning a volleyball game. This is something that Desert Vista has actively been working on and improving this season.

“In practice, we as coaches officiate all the time, and we try to prepare them for when they don't like a call, and how they're going to respond,” Schnittger said. “Sometimes we get a little fiery because we don't like the call, but I do feel like we’ve improved by correcting our next ball mentality better than we did earlier in the season.”

Despite rolling with the punches, the Thunder were unable to keep up their winning momentum in the third and fourth sets. Desert Vista allowed a 12-0 and 6-0 run by Sunnyslope in the third set and was fighting from behind the rest of the match. Giving up such long runs to the opposing team was an energy drainer for the Thunder and they struggled to bring back the spark that drove them in the second set. 

“Mentally, it's just the fact that we need to keep pushing through sets. I feel like we start out really strong in the first two, three sets, but once we go past that barrier, it's just like we struggle to continuously win points,” setter Savanna Haefs said. 

This loss isn’t stopping the Thunder, however, as they already have begun preparing for the end of the season and finding new things to improve on. 

“Working on out-of-system balls is a big thing because our passing has been kind of not the best in defense lately,” Haefs said. “If I can work on getting the balls to the outsides and the pins, that would be best.”

The defining factor of these Thunder players moving toward the end of the season is their dedication to becoming a better team. They are consistently improving with each game.

“Every day we come to the gym, every day we come to a game, we improve. That's our motivation,” Owens said. “We keep pushing everything, knowing that we're improving each time.”