GILBERT — In only its second season in existence, Salpointe Catholic’S girls sand volleyball team had a chance to make history.
The No. 2 seed arrived at the Division I state tournament hoping to do something that had never been done before — defeat top-seeded Xavier Prep in the final round.
But the Lancers just didn’t have enough to overcome the Gators, falling 5-0 at Gilbert Mesquite High School.
“It’s all over their faces how upset they are and that’s the kind of competitors they are,” Salpointe coach Heather Moore-Martin said. “No one wants to come to the state final and go out losing.”
The victory marked Xavier’s fifth straight state title. The Gators have dominated the sport since it became a sanctioned sport in 2012. Salpointe finished the season with a 9-4 record.
“This is our second year,” Moore-Martin said. “I don’t want them to be upset that they lost when they gave a great fight.”
Sophomore Alanna Duarte said her team knew Xavier would be a tough matchup. The Lancers lost to the Gators 4-1 back in their regular season match in March.
“We all had to get really mentally ready and really excited to play and compete with a really great team,” she said.
Salpointe’s No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 teams took the court first Wednesday. All three teams were swept in straight sets, giving the Xavier a 3-0 lead. The No. 1 and No. 2 teams played their matches next, even though Xavier had already clinched the state title.
“When we were watching the first three matches we were talking, saying ‘We had such a great season. There’s no reason to just quit,’” Duarte said. “We had to keep pushing.”
Duarte and Peyton Lewis fell behind 1-0 to Xavier in their first match, but battled back to win the second and tie things up at 1-1. Carly Lowry and Allie Weaver followed suit, tying their match up at 1-1 after winning the second game. Xavier eventually went on to win both matches 3-2 for the clean sweep.
“They’re just a great program,” Moore-Martin said of Xavier. “ They’ve been around a while so they have the benefit of experience.”
Still, Duarte, a sophomore, said she was pleased with what her team had accomplished.
“The second year, being a state runner-up?” Duarte said. “That’s something to be proud of.”
