The 2018 Saguaro Sabercats varsity girls’ volleyball team has struggled to find consistency early in the season, dropping a hard-fought match to the Desert Mountain Wolves Tuesday night.

Up next for the Sabercats is an away match against the 8-1 Youngker Roughriders Thursday. Despite the team’s previous results thus far in the season, Saguaro head coach Tim Church is not worried.

“We’re very close,” Church said. “I think we’re just a few fixes away from being very competitive, especially at our 4A level.”

Church, a former professional beach volleyball player who spent time on every single major professional U.S. tour, prefers to focus on making adjustments on his own side of the net.

When asked about his preparation in practices for Thursday’s match against the Roughriders, Church said, “I’m just trying to bring the intensity to practice. If we play the way we can play, I’m feeling good about every single match we have this season.”

Intensity at practice isn’t the only thing that instills confidence in the former Team USA beach volleyball player about his team. Church also acknowledges the importance of not only the eight seniors on the roster, but sophomore setter Emma White as well.

In her second season playing on the varsity team, White has shot out of the gate, leading the team in numerous statistics. She attributes her success early in the season to the hard work she has been putting in over the past year.

“I want to make sure last year wasn’t my peak,” White said. “I want to get better as I go.”

The sophomore phenom has more than proved that she has the ability to live up to her potential.

Even with a high ceiling and a constant push to be her best from Church, White wants everyone to know that she is aware of the roles on the team. “I still respect my upperclassmen teammates and will continue to do so,” White said, “but it’s nice proving myself.”

Libero Isabella Royball likes Saguaro's defense.

“I’m feeling pretty confident defensively, and I think we just need to put the ball away,” Royball said.

This expressed confidence from a leader in the locker room will go a long way in helping the Sabercats find their identity and improve from the 13-25 season that they endured in Church’s inaugural season at the helm of the program.

Saguaro enters tomorrow with a 2-2 overall record, going 0-1 in section play. Although they are at .500 in wins and losses, the Sabercats have actually won more sets than they have lost thus far, which shows that this team could be on the verge of something big.

Their opponent, the Youngker Roughriders  of Buckeye, has a daunting 8-1 record after winning all but one game in the 2018 Southwest Challenge. Their one loss, a 2-0 shutout at the hands of the No. 3 team in the state, Verrado, is the only match in which they have lost more than one set, a pattern that Saguaro will look to disrupt Thursday.