Xavier players receive analysis from their sweep of Basha from coach Lamar-Renee Bryant. (AzPreps365 photo)

Top-ranked Xavier Prep inched ahead of No. 2 Corona del Sol in the latest girls volleyball power rankings and continued to surge Tuesday with a sweep of No. 7 Basha. Xavier Prep methodically pulled off a sweep of Basha, 25-15, 25-17 and 25-15, in a 6A Premier Region match at Basha High.

Xavier (15-1) opened the season with 11 straight wins before losing one match in the Durango Invitational in Nevada 10 days ago. The Gators have a modest four-game win streak in progress and will look to make it five Wednesday vs. Chandler. That would be momentum coach LamarRenee Bryant would like to have for Friday and Saturday at the annual Nike TOC at ASU's Sun Devil Fitness Center.

Bryant wasn't all that enthused with her team's performance in several facets.

"We were all over the place," Bryant said. "We didn't seem ready to really compete. That's not the team I know we are.....

"We won in three. We can play a lot better. We need to especially going into the tournament this weekend."

Xavier trailed only twice all match -- by a one point briefly and early in each of the second and third sets. If Xavier's play was not up to Bryant's standard, the outcome was helped by a disappointing output by Basha.

Basha was fresh off a runner-up finish in the 34-team Westwood Tournament of Champions last weekend. Other than one or two triumphs over top-notch programs, Basha coach Terri Spann is looking for her team to take the next step more frequently when taking on contending teams. They've lost matches to Corona del Sol (two), Xavier, Perry and Sunnyslope. The only win the Bears own over a top-10 team is Perry last weekend at Westwood.

"We had trouble in a lot of areas," Spann said. "We just underperformed. We've been able to take care of the obvious, but not the elites. That's something we have to start doing."

Xavier's leader on the attack was senior outside Lanie Wagner with 10 kills, although Bryant wasn't pleased with her hitting percentage. Senior middle Erica Snopko and junior Hayley Nash off the bench produced five kills each. Also rating kudos for their roles in the Gators rotation were Ashley Yeung and Kate Spellman. Spellman served 13 points on 19 attempts, including two aces.

Basha was led unofficially on the attack by Tatum Rohme and Samantha Daughtery with eight kills apiece.