No. 14 Tuba City to host Parker in AIA volleyball play-in game: Window Rock, Ganado and Valley to hit the road

By Quentin Jodie
Navajo Times

WINDOW ROCK – The volleyball play-in games for the Arizona Interscholastic Association starts on Tuesday with most games scheduled for 6 p.m. at the higher seeded teams.

The AIA announced the seedings on Saturday night as the teams seeded No. 9 through No. 24 is looking to advance into the 16-team state brackets in 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A Conferences. Following Tuesday’s games, the AIA will reseed the state brackets as the winners from the play-in games will be pitted against the top 8 teams according to the AIA state rankings.

Monument Valley, the 3A North Region champs, has a bye into the state tournament as the Mustangs (15-2 overall) finished the final 3A state rankings in the top 8.

Four local teams will be in action on Tuesday headed by the Tuba City Lady Warriors. Tuba (11-5) earned the No. 14 seed in the 3A play-in game, and they will host No. 19 Parker (10-7).

“We’re excited for the playoffs,” Tuba City coach Kristen Balcerek said. “I’m excited to get our team playing in the playoffs again. I’m really happy that we’re playing at home for our state play-in game, so that’s a big plus.”

The first-year Tuba coach says Parker has not played any opponents they have played this season, but she’s found some film on them.

“I think it’s going to be a good matchup,” she said. “They’re a well-rounded team, and they have two really big outside hitters that we have to figure out to slow down.

“But I feel like we can get the job done,” she added. “It’s going to take consistency and mental toughness on our side to get the win.”

The Window Rock Lady Scouts and the Ganado Lady Hornets also received bids to the 3A play-in games. The Scouts received No. 21 seed as Window Rock will play at No. 12 Tanque Verde in Tucson. Ganado, the No. 22 seed, travels to No. 11 Thatcher.

“I think to make the playoffs is always an accomplishment,” Ganado coach Jerome Burns said. “We always try to do our best, and I think the girls did that.

“I want to really thank the fans and the community for supporting us throughout the season,” he continued. “The girls really appreciate that, and I like to add that our seniors have been working hard and wanting to do well.”

Burns noted that Thatcher will be a much taller team, and he emphasized that they need to play good defense to advance into the 16-team bracket.

“We’re a short team and we got to make sure that we play defense and do well,” he said.

In 2A, the Valley Lady Pirates were the lone area team to make the play-in game. The Pirates were seeded No. 23 and they will play at No. 10 Scottsdale Prep.

“We’re excited,” Valley coach Kayla Phillips said. “It was a goal of ours to make it to state, especially with the seniors that I have on the team. They really wanted to make it back to state again.”

Valley, which finished fourth in the 2A North Region, has four seniors in setter Alayna Begaye, outside hitter Khloe Pusher, and middle hitters Elianna Swatts Trinity Mitchell.

“We tried not to look at the (state) rankings because last year we were sitting at No. 22, and we ended missing the playoffs by one spot,” Mitchell said. “This year, we’re back in and I’m happy about that.”

In the 1A Conference, the 16-team bracket was finalized late Saturday night and St. Michael was selected as the No. 9 seed. The Lady Cardinals is playing at eight-seeded Mogollon on Tuesday night.

“We have to go into the state tournament with a strong mentality where we have to try for every single point,” St. Michael coach Reynelda Terry said. “We can’t let stuff slide like serves, hits and tips. We can’t let (the mistakes) affect our play.”

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