Ironwood Ridge beat Desert Mountain 3-2 Tuesday night in the Play-In Tournament to advance to the 5A state playoffs slated to start on Thursday where the Nighthawks (11-7) will travel to play at No. 3 Gilbert (15-2).
In all, only six teams from Southern Arizona made it through the night including Rincon/UHS, Catalina Foothills, Cienega, Tanque Verde and Push Ridge. Canyon del Oro and Salpointe ended the regular season ranked high enough in the 4A Conference to avoid the play-in round.
Ironwood Ridge sprinted out to a 25-19 win in the first set at home against Desert Mountain and the Nighthawks pulled some magic in the second set to take a 2-0 lead. Allison Birtcil put down a kill to put Ironwood Ridge up 20-19 but the Wolves went on a run to take 24-21 lead.
A service error cut the lead down to 24-22 and the Nighthawks cut the lead down to 24-23 to make things interesting. Elli Meinke came up with a block to tie things up at 24-24 and then Birtcil served an ace to put the Wolves on the ropes and the Nighthawks pulled out a 26-24 win to go up 2-0.
Desert Mountain controlled the third set 25-22 to make it 2-1 and then a 25-20 win the fourth set forced the deciding fifth set. The Nighthawks went out to a 10-5 lead but that lead was shaved down to 12-10. A kill from Melanie Merrill got the momentum back to the Nighthawks and then Emma Orton came up with her 7th block of the night to make it 14-10. A service error gave the Wolves some hope at 14-11 but Taylor Crawford’s 30th assist found Birtcil and the senior put down her 13th kill for the 15-11 victory.
Kathryn Cherrington led Ironwood Ridge with 16 kills and Meinke added 12 to go along with 4 aces and 12 digs. Paige Baldus came up big for Desert Mountain with 18 dominant kills.
Allison Birtcil sends @nighthawkvb to the 5A state playoffs 15-11 5th set victory #AZPreps365 https://t.co/j1merKhgtQ pic.twitter.com/enXoUS85pZ
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) November 3, 2021
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2
VOLLEYBALL CONFERENCE PLAY-IN
6A: No. 13 Rincon/UHS over No. 20 Shadow Ridge, 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-20, 25-18)
5A: No. 9 Catalina Foothills over No. 24 Kellis, 3-0
5A: No. 12 Cienega over No. 21 Mountain View, 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-19)
5A: No. 20 Williams Field over No. 11 Marana, 3-2
5A: No. 15 Ironwood Ridge over No. 18 Desert Mt., 3-2 (25-19, 26-24, 22-25, 20-25, 15-11)
5A: No. 11 Paradise Valley over No. 22 Buena, 3-0 (25-14, 25-13, 25-17)
4A: No. 18 Paradise Honors over No. 15 Amphitheater, 3-1 (25-7, 25-18, 15-25, 25-17)
4A: No. 14 Mesquite over No. 19 Mica Mountain, 3-0 (25-18, 25-23, 25-22)
4A: No. 9 Deer Valley over No. 24 Sahuaro, 3-0 (25-9, 25-18, 25-9)
3A: No. 13 Tanque Verde over No. 20 Sabino, 3-1
3A: No. 15 Pusch Ridge over No. 18 Show Low, 3-1 (18-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-15)
2A: No. 11 Morenci over No. 22 Benson, 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-19)
2A: No. 10 Round Valley over No. 23 St. Augustine, 3-0 (25-15, 25-23, 25-8)
2A SOCCER FIRST ROUND
No. 5 Blue Ridge 3, No. 4 St. Augustine 1
GIRLS D-I GOLF ROUND TWO
Ella Walsh, Rincon/UHS 8: 146 +4
Myranda Moreno, Tucson 50: 181
Hannah Lee, Rincon/UHS 51: 183
Evelyn Jonikas, Rincon/UHS 62: 199
Rachel Zheng, Rincon/UHS 69: 221
Kathleen Cheeseman, Rincon/UHS 72: 275
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3
BOYS D-I GOLF ROUND ONE
Nathan Romero, Marana (20: 75 +2)
Dominic Swick, Marana (59: 84)
CROSS COUNTRY BUENA SECTIONAL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4
BOYS D-I GOLF ROUND TWO
Nathan Romero, Marana
Dominic Swick, Marana
4A-6A VOLLEYBALL FIRST ROUND
6A: No. 13 Rincon/UHS at No. 4 Corona del Sol,. 6:30 p.m.
5A: No. 9 Catalina Foothills at No. 8 Campo Verde, 6:30 p.m.
5A: No. 12 Cienega at No. 5 Arcadia, 6:30 p.m.
5A: No. 14 Ironwood Ridge at No. 3 Gilbert, 6:30 p.m.
4A: No. 15 St. Mary’s at No. 2 Canyon del Oro, 6:30 p.m.
4A: No. 13 Younger at No. 4 Salpointe, 6:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5
SWIMMING FINALS DAY ONE
1A VOLLEYBALL FIRST ROUND AT CORONADO
No. 9 St. David vs. No. 8 Cicero Prep, 9 a.m.
No. 12 Desert Christian vs. No. 5 Fort Thomas, 11 a.m.
No. 15 Valley Union vs. No. 2 Tempe Prep, 3 p.m.
No. 16 Immaculate Heart vs. No. 1 Rock Point, 9 a.m.
3A FOOTBALL CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND
No. 10 Thatcher at No. 7 Pusch Ridge, 7 p.m.
No. 9 Sabino at No. 8 Show Low, 7 p.m.
2A FOOTBALL CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND
No. 14 Sequoia Pathway at No. 3 Benson, 7 p.m.
No. 9 Holbrook at No. 8 Willcox, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6
1A FOOTBALL CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
No. 3 Williams vs. No. St. David, Coronado: 6 p.m.
3A VOLLEYBALL FIRST ROUND AT MARCOS DE NIZA
No. 6 Empire vs. No. 11 AZ College Prep, 1 p.m.
No. 13 Tanque Verde vs. No. 4 Monument Valley, 11 a.m.
No. 15 Pusch Ridge vs. No. 2 Valley Christian, 3 p.m.
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Andy Morales was recognized by the AIA as the top high school reporter in 2014, he was awarded the Ray McNally Award in 2017, a 2019 AZ Education News award winner and he has been a youth, high school and college coach for over 30 years. He was the first in Arizona to write about high school beach volleyball and high school girls wrestling. His own children have won multiple state high school championships and were named to all-state teams. Competing in hockey, basketball, baseball and track & field in high school, his unique perspective can only be found here and on AZPreps365.com. Andy is the Southern Arizona voting member of the Ed Doherty Award, recognizing the top football player in Arizona, and he was named a Local Hero by the Tucson Weekly for 2016. Andy was named an Honorary Flowing Wells Caballero in 2019, became a member of the Sunnyside Los Mezquites Cross Country Hall of Fame in 2021 and he was a member of the Amphi COVID-19 Blue Ribbon Committee and he earned a Distinguished Service Award from Amphitheater. Contact Andy Morales at amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com
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