How does one team implement unity on and off the court?

Simple. Playing for one another in every way possible.

That’s what Xavier Prep volleyball has been trying to recapture since the midway point of this season. That sisterhood was present when the program won the 2013 title, but it vanished after that.

Not surprisingly, Xavier, a perennial championship contender, hasn’t won a title since that year. The only member from the 2013 team on the current roster is star senior middle blocker Makenna Patterson.

“I remember what that (championship season) was like and team unity was something that we lost the past couple years,” Patterson said. “We’re striving toward that more now — being more of a team than just individuals.”

Second-year setter Shannon Shields remembers the lack of unity during last season as well.

“It was kind of like a singular thing,” Shields said. “It was not a team effort — it was a team effort, but I feel like there were tons of individuals rather than one team.”

When this season began, the unity also was far from present.

“I feel like in the beginning of the year we were like, ‘We’re not going to get to state. We’re not going to win,’” Shields said. “We wanted to, but no one thought we would. In the beginning we kind of had no confidence.”

But a 5-game loss to Perry, which rallied from a two-game deficit, and a trip to Las Vegas changed Xavier’s luck.

During their trip to the Durango Fall Classic in Las Vegas, Xavier bonded more and became much closer, Patterson said. Xavier finished second — its best showing in the prestigious national tournament — and even defeated some of the nation’s volleyball heavyweights.

When it returned, Xavier only dropped three matches to Arizona teams during the rest of its regular season. Two of those defeats came to 6A Conference state semifinalist Hamilton.

But Xavier, the No. 2 seed in the 6A state tournament, defeated top-seed Hamilton, the preseason favorite, during their final regular season match. Xavier (34-6) will play Corona del Sol in the 6A state semifinals Tuesday, when Hamilton faces Mountain Pointe in the other semifinal at Mesquite High.

“I know that everyone is out for us now because we’re at the top,” Patterson said. “I think that should drive us more, to show people that we do belong here it’s not just like a little fluke.”

Everyone on Xavier’s volleyball team is on the same page now.

“My goal for my team is playing the best volleyball that we’ve ever played as a team and making sure that we stay together as a team,” coach Lamar-Renee Bryant said.