The Salpointe Lancers cruised to a 3-0 sweep over Nogales at home Tuesday night to push their overall record to 12-2 and 7-0 in power-ranking matches. The Lancers brought home the 2016 and 2017 4A championships and the team looks to make it three in a row with a powerful group of 12 upperclassmen returning along with one of the best sophomores in the state in Andrea Owens (6-2, OH).

Nogales fell to 3-5 in power-ranking matches but the Apaches played the Lancers tough in the first set, a 25-17 setback. Salpointe took the second set 25-5 and the third 25-8.

The Lancers lost Alanna Duarte (331 kills, 331 digs) and Peyton Lewis (353 digs, 1,028 assists) to graduation but a more spread offense with Owens, Sr. Alex Parkhurst (6-1, OH/MB), Sr. Madison Sundholm (6-0, OPP) and Jr. Abby Russell (6-0, MB) collecting kills off of sets from So. Brandy Kishbaugh and Jr. Katherine Schepelmann appears to make this team more formidable this fall.

Last year’s runner-up, Sunrise Mountain, has been bumped up to 5A along with the top-seed from the 2017 4A playoffs, Cactus Shadows. The second seed from last year, Cactus, is 3-3 in power-ranking matches this year but the void, so far, appears to be filled by undefeated Seton Catholic (8-0), Greenway (6-0) and Canyon del Oro (8-0) with Marcos de Niza (6-1) and Flagstaff (5-1) in the mix.

The initial power-rankings are slated to be released next Tuesday (Sept. 25) and we will get a better picture of where the teams stand heading into region play. Speaking of region play, the 6A and 5A playoffs will be determined by ranking but the other four conference will still issue an automatic berth to the region champions. 2A through 6A will have a play-in tournament this year.

The Lancers start 4A Kino Region play Wednesday night at home against Sahuaro (1-6) and Nogales begins 5A Southern Region play at Marana (5-2) on Thursday.