The Desert Mountain Wolves rallied against rival Chaparral in a tense match decided by tenacious play and a howling crowd.

The Wolves came out firing on all cylinders as they won the first two sets en route to a 25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 25-20 home victory. Their dominance was sparked by an electrifying performance from senior Finn Wilkins, who had more than a dozen kills Tuesday night.

The middle-blocker generated roars from a packed gym with each monstrous hit.

“They’ve been our biggest rival for years,” Wilkins said. “Now in my senior year I’m finally able to kill it.”

But her skills were put to the test when the Firebirds came shooting back and won the third set.  

In the fourth set, the teams battled ferociously, as the lead changed eight times. However, Desert Mountain coach Tammy Butler reinvigorated her team during a timeout, helping Desert Mountain seal the match 3-1 in front of its deafening fans. 

“I basically just told them that they can’t give up and they have to play every point like it’s game point. They [have to] give 100 percent on the court and they did,” Butler said.

As for Chaparral, the loss will be hard to swallow so early in the season.

“We had some great plays, but we didn’t show up like we normally do,” sophomore Amber Stivrins said. “It’s kind of upsetting to play our rivals like that.”

Chaparral’s head coach, Amanda Burbridge, will go back to the drawing board in an attempt to solve the “inconsistency” she saw during the match.

“There are things we’re aware of on the ball control side that we need to do a better job of,” Burbridge said.

When it came to how the game was lost, she admitted Wilkins and the middle blockers of Desert Mountain were the key players who gave them a rough night. 

“I thought they did a nice job with their dig transition. Their middles did well in putting the ball away,” she added.

Stivrins also joined her coach by saying Desert Mountain’s middles were “giants” that prompted a style of play her team was not used to. 

It was clear throughout the match how much of a height advantage Desert Mountain had. The long armed middle-blockers consistently batted away shots from Chaparral’s side, leaving frustration across the visiting side.

“Honestly, I’m very proud of every single one of them,” said Butler of her team. “They played their hearts out tonight.”

For Chaparral, its record stands at 1-2 before its Thursday game against Mesquite High School. Its wits will be tested yet again in an away match for the third time in just over a week.

For the 1-2 Wolves, their journey continues at Mountain Pointe High School Thursday.