Corona del Sol may have found itself just in time.

The Tempe girls volleyball team backed into the Division I state tournament, winning only three of its final 13 regular season matches. But a 5-game defeat to Mountain Pointe on Oct. 28 rejuvenated Corona del Sol.

After dropping the first game Tuesday in the first round of the state tournament, Corona del Sol didn’t spiral downward like it did when it was struggling. It found a way to win Game 2 and took Centennial out of its game during the remainder of the match.

Up next for Corona del Sol after Tuesday’s 23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-12 win is Xavier Prep in Thursday’s quarterfinal round.

“About two weeks ago we were just in a slump,” Corona del Sol coach Ben Maxfield said. “But in a match against Mountain Pointe, which we lost last week, we got our energy back. Our passing was really good. Our setter (Madi Reum) is just making smart choices.”

The turning point in Tuesday’s match came near the end of the second game, when Centennial went on mini 4-0 run to grab the momentum and a 21-19 lead.

But after a Corona del Sol timeout, Maxfield’s best hitters Tuesday, Emma West and Brooke Nuneviller, collected back-to-back kills to tie the match.

A Centennial passing error and an ace, a solo block by Erica Ronda and another kill by West sealed Game 2 for Corona del Sol.

Host Centennial tried to keep up in Game 3, but when a 9-0 run pushed Corona del Sol’s lead to 16-9, the road team never trailed during the remainder of the match. When it was clicking for Centennial, Sydeny Lema was executing her power game from the outside, the middles, Kara Spicer and Makenna Schmitt, were involved in the run of play and lefty Quinne Daoust and Reagan Leonard were collecting timely kills.

Credit Corona del Sol’s serves for taking its opponent out of its game.

“Our serving knocked them out of their system, so it was easier to defend,” Maxfield said.

Corona del Sol finished with 12 aces, including six in the third game, when libero Camryn Tucker had three straight aces near the end of the game.

The 6-feet-3 West did most of her damage from the opposite side as she whipped cross court daggers. Nuneviller moved around to find openings in Centennial’s defense.

Ronda picked her spots to step up, and Corona del Sol middle Hayden Warnock (6-3) drew attention with her quick kills.

“When everyone is clicking like that, we are tough to beat,” Maxfield said.