Volleyball: Campo Verde solid in sweep of Williams Field

September 25, 2018 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Campo Verde's Caitlin Dugan (9) delivers a 1st-set kill in the Coyotes sweep of Williams Field on Tuesday night. (AzPreps365 photo).

Campo Verde learned earlier Tuesday it was No. 4 in the first computation of the 5A girls volleyball rankings. The Coyotes performed like it on a short road trip to Williams Field.

Campo Verde dominated the first two sets and survived Williams Field best half set in the third to pull off a sweep. Scores were 25-11, 25-10, 25-22 in this San Tan Region matchup.

Campo Verde has been busy and played its 31st match including appearances in three invitationals. The Coyotes are 16-15 overall, but most important are 7-2 in power-ranking matches and 3-0 in region play. Williams Field fell to 8-8 overall, 7-3 in power ranking matches and 2-2 in region play. Campo's two power-ranking losses are to No. 1 Millennium and No. 2 Sunnyslope.

There was no mystery early in each of the first two sets who was going to prevail. Campo Verde was sharp in all phases. Leading attacker and senior outside hitter Caitlin Dugan pounded six kills in the first set. Setter Jordyn Campbell enjoyed a productive night with 35 assists feeding several hitters.

Dugan, who has committed to Texas Tech, finished with a team-high 12 kills., but her leadership is just as important.

"Caitlin keeps everyone calm and she plays that way, too," Campo Verde coach Tayler Bader said. "She's never out there playing  the 'I'm going to Texas Tech 'card. She's our most complete player."

Senior middle Ellie Johnson wasn't far behind Dugan with eight kills, several in a key stretch late in the third set to help complete the sweep. Junior outside Taylor Van Winkle added six kills and libero Hattie Patton led the defense with 16 digs..

Campo's performance also made it a comfortable night for Bader. 

"The first two sets we were very efficient," Bader said. "Late in the third we got relaxed and too comfortable."

Bader seemed determined not to call a timeout in the third set after the Coyotes nearly salted away a 16-7 lead. A 7-0 run pulled Williams Field within 16-14. That's when Johnson stepped up and found the floor three times in a row as the lead grew to 20-14. Williams Field applied pressure again with an 8-2 run that evened things at 22. Bader relented and called time.

"I wanted them to figure it out and learn how to do it," Bader said. "They did a pretty good job, but I decided that was the time."

Williams Field struggled returning to the court as a service error, passing error and hitting error by the Blackhawks closed out the set and match.

Wiilliams Field, No. 14 in the first power-rankings released Tuesday, was led on the attack by senior opposite Ashley Hostetler with seven kills, senior outside Emily Halter with six and junior middle Elle Pettit with five.