Rock Point netters capture bronze title at Epic Tourneys

WINDOW ROCK

After starting the season with one win and five losses, the Rock Point volleyball team has bounced back in a big way.

The Lady Cougars (9-5) won six games during the 2025 Epic Tourneys Volleyball Invite as Rock Point captured the 16-team tournament title in the Bronze division on Saturday at the ASU Fitness Center in Tempe, Arizona.

“The girls did very well,” Rock Point coach Kyle Arthur said. “Right now, we’re on an eight-game winning streak and I think that’s a reflection of how much the girls have grown since the start of the season because early on we did face some tough losses.

“Instead of those losses defining us, the team chose to learn from those losses,” he continued. “You know, this streak shows the progress they’ve made in trusting each other, communicating and just playing with confidence.”

Previously, the Rock Point coach said his team lacked confidence and that affected their performance.

“That was a barrier that we had to break, and I think they’re finally coming around,” he said. “It’s just them understanding who they are as a team.”

The Arthur-coached team won its pool by defeating Valley Union, San Pasqual, and Greyhills Academy in 2-0 sets.

In bracket play, the Cougars rallied with a 23-25, 25-18, 15-11 win over 1A North counterpart Dishchii’bikoh to advance to the semifinals. In that next round, Rock Point prevailed with a 25-14, 21-25, 15-11 win over 2A school Highland Prep West.

In the championship game, the Cougars swept 5A school Metro Tech 25-22, 25-15.

“I feel like Highland Prep and Metro Tech gave us some good matches,” Arthur said. “Highland Prep was pretty tall, and they were getting over our blocks and so we had to adapt to that.

“Basically, we just had to find their weakness and we exploited that,” he added. “That is how we overcame that Highland Prep team.”

Against Metro Tech, Arthur said the Phoenix-based school extended long rallies with their superb defensive play.

“They had good defense and I think it started to make our players a little frustrated,” Arthur said. “We usually put the ball down with a kill, but they were picking them up. We just had to keep our composure and just be patient with the points.”

Arthur says everyone on his team played a vital role in their tournament run. With that, he did not single out anyone player.

“I think it was team effort,” the Rock Point coach said. “You know, they’re beginning to trust each other. Now that they’ve done that, they have an understanding that trusting each other through the highs and lows really go a long way. During those games, we kind of saw that to where everybody was supporting each other, and everyone was fighting together.

“The togetherness was there and that is how we pulled through,” he added.

Going forward, Arthur expects to see a different energy coming from his club as Rock Point hopes to make some noise in the eight-team 1A North Region.

“I’m proud of where we’re at, and we’re excited to see what we can do,” Arthur said. “I think they have grown so much this season and I believe they’ll be playing with more heart and confidence.”

On Thursday, Rock Point will host Monument Valley, Utah in a freedom game before they resume 1A North play traveling to El Capitan on Saturday.

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