Mtn. View VB finishes perfect in region, sweeps Mesa

October 26, 2021 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Mountain View's Aaliyah Austin goes for a kill in the Toros' sweep of Mesa High on Tuesday night. (Azpreps365 photo).

Mesa Mountain View's volleyball team encountered some resistence Tuesday night in completing its second consecutive perfect region season.

The Toros, however, were up to the task at crunch time in the first two sets and completed a sweep of Mesa High with ease in the third with a 25-21, 25-21, 25-13 triumph at Mesa High.

#11 Mountain View improved to 13-3 in power-ranking matches and finishes 10-0 in the 6A East Valley Region. The Toros have won their last 28 region matches dating back to 2019. The lone loss in that span was to Mesa. Mountain View is jockeying for position with #10 Basha in tight battle for the 10th spot. Basha was idle on Tuesday. Mountain View visits Basha on Wednesday in the regular-season finale for both schools.

Mesa (7-8 prm) is trying to stay in the top-24 in 6A  -  the number of schools that qualify for postseason. Mesa entered Tuesday's match at #23. The Jackrabbits last two matches are with #34 Alhambra on Wednesday and #6 Xavier Prep on Thursday. Mesa's playoff cause was aided by #24 Pinnacle's loss to Boulder Creek on Tuesday night.

Mountain View coach Clark Fleming liked getting a sweep, but it wasn't picturesque.

"When you win like that you like to think it was because you played phenomenal volleyball," Fleming said. "It didn't think we played very good. ... It was great to have Briley (Decker) back. She brings composure. The volleyball part will come as we keep going."

Neither team wowed with their play Tuesday. Mountain View got the chance for the sweep by playing better in the opening set after the teams were knotted at 14. Mountain View never trailed after being down 14-13 and got enough points on its own from Olivia Tukuafu (two kills), Reece Fishbeck (one kill) and and an ace from Lexi Williams. Mesa  committed five errors - three attack and two service errors to aid its demise.

Mesa seemed on the verge of evening the the match at 1-1. The Jackrabbits led most of the second set and didn't trail until an ace by Decker made it 20-19 Toros. Mountain View's final five points were due to a variey of Mesa errors. Mountain View received kills from six different players in the third set - led by three each from Fischbeck and Aaliyah Austin in doubling up Mesa. 

The Toros displayed great balance in its attack. Unofficially Austin led with seven kills, folllowed by Tukuafu and Williams six each and Fischbeck and Decker five apiece. Mesa's attack leaders with five each were Rylynn Dixon, Makena Rumple and Jazlyn Jackson.