Volleyball: Millennium claims House of Payne title over Desert Vista

September 8, 2018 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Millennium shows off its championship trophy from winning the House of Payne Invitational on Saturday at Chandler High. Millennium is 21-0 thus far and has won invitationals each of the last two weekends. The Tigers next appearance will be in two weeks at the Nike TOC. (AzPreps365 photo).

Millennium's girls volleyball team may have done more waiting than playing Saturday as the Tigers rolled to their second invitational title in as many weekends with another perfect effort. 

This weekend Millennium journeyed to the East Valley and won the House of Payne InvItational hosted by Chandler High by sweeping Desert Vista in the final 25-14, 25-20. Last weekend the Tigers were closer to home in going 9-0 and winning the Goldwater Festival taking down Scottsdale Christian, 2-0, in the title match. Millennium's record after two weeks of play is 21-0. It has lost just two sets in those matches - one to Centennial and one to Campo Verde in power-ranking clashes.

There is no mystery to how Millennium has accomplished what it has thus far. Good volleybal in every facet.

"We have a good group of kids," Millennium coach Julie Vastine said. "They're playing well together. I usually use 10 to 11 kids every match. We've never played in this tournament before. We don't get to see many East Valley teams. We got to see some this weekend."

The Tigers polished off every opponent 2-0 in three pool games and two more bracket contests left them idle in the stands waiting for a court to clear. They waited almost two hours between their semifinal win over Chaparral and the championship with Desert Vista.

Millennium, which has moved down from 6A to 5A this season, has some firepower left over from last season's 6A quarterfinal run that ended with a tough five-set loss to Perry. The early returns show the Tigers are arguably as good as any team in the state regardless of conference. 

In the title match on senior outside hitter Ashley Antoniak led the attack with 12 kills. Antoniak led Millennium in kills last year. Senior middle blocker Sedona Sherman and senior rightside Makayla Middleton added six kills apiece. Six players had at least one kill for the Tigers in the title match. Senior libero Nicole Hoff, the tournament's most valuable player, had 11 digs and senior setter Bailey Schlosser led in assists with 16.

Desert Vista played the title match after a short break following a tough three-set semifinal win over Horizon. Coach Molly West's Thunder fell behind quickly 10-2 in the first set and weren't able to make a significant run. The second set began better for the Thunder as they led briefly and were within three several times, including late at 23-20. Junior outside hitter Brooke Blutreich led the Thunder with eight kills. Desert Vista posted a 7-2 mark in the tournament and is 10-3 overall.

Joining Hoff on the eight-member, all-tournament team: Desert Vista's Jennifer Soto; Horizon's Claire Smith, Desert Ridge's Amanda Jonovich, Seton Catholic's Delaney Shearon; Salpointe Catholic's Abby Russell; Chaparral's Lexy Lewis and Chandler's Taylor Aguano.

The 2018 House of Payne all-tournament team: from left Taylor Aguano, Chandler; Lexy Lewis, Chaparral, Delaney Shearon, Seton; Claire Smith, Horizon, Jennifer Soto, Desert Vista and tourney MVP Nicole Hoff, Millennium. Not pictured -- Amanda Jonovich, Desert Ridge and Aby Russell, Salpointe.