By Raymundo Frasquillo
TEMPE – Morenci closed out its September volleyball slate in the 74-team ninth annual Nike Tournament of Champions Invitational in Tempe on Sept. 29-30. Pool matches Friday determined the bracket pairings Saturday.
The field included 36 Arizona teams, three each from the 2A and 3A schools, as well as 38 from 14 other states. California entrants numbered 15, Florida and Nevada both had four, Oregon three, Georgia and Utah both two, and Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, and Wyoming one apiece.
The 2A East Region Wildcats (5-4 seeding, 2.7383 rating for No. 20) succumbed in two sets (25-9, 25-17) to 5A Desert West Phoenix Barry Goldwater Bulldogs (4-5, minus 2.4042 for No. 28), finishing eight in the Pearl Bracket, matching Pool R versus Pool S.
Morenci’s 2-2 bracket matches also included a 3-set win (16-25, 25-23, 15-11) over the Nevada Las Vegas Rancho Rams (10-10 overall, 4A No. 20), a 2-set (6-25, 13-25) loss to the 6A East Valley Mesa Skyline Coyotes (3-8, minus 6.5686 for No. 31), and a 2-set (19-25, 11-25) loss to the 4A Skyline Phoenix Thunderbird Chiefs (6-6, 1.0237 for No. 20).
Skyline topped the 5A Northeast Valley Scottsdale Arcadia Titans (6-5, 5.1930 for No. 14) in three sets (21-25, 25-20, 15-10) for first place; the 2A East Thatcher Eagles (5-3, 8.4850 for No. 9) downed the 3A Tucson Sabino Sabercats (4-6, minus 1.3292 for No. 22) in two sets (25-14, 25-16) for third; the 6A East Valley Mesa Dobson Mustangs (7-4, minus 1.6869 for No. 28) slipped past Thunderbird in three sets (25-23, 21-25, 15-7) for fifth and Rancho bested the 2A Metro South Gilbert Leading Edge Spartans (6-5, minus 0.2867 for No. 24) in two sets (25-18, 25-21) for ninth.
Pool S finishes (records) had Skyline first (4-0), Thatcher second (3-1), and Thunderbird third, Leading Edge fourth, and Morenci fifth, each at 1-3. Several tie-breakers to determine placements were used, with the final one being a coin toss.
The Wildcats lone win was 25-15 and 25-12 over Thunderbird.
Skyline bested Morenci (25-13, 25-18), Leading Edge (25-19, 25-11), Thunderbird (25-15, 25-12), and Thatcher (25-22, 25-18); Thatcher downed Thunderbird (25-12, 26-24), Leading Edge (25-19, 25-22), and Morenci (25-20, 25-11); Thunderbird defeated Leading Edge (19-25, 25-17, 15-12); and Leading Edge defeated Morenci (25-18, 25-14).
Pool R finishes were Arcadia first (4-0), Sabino second (3-1), Dobson third (2-2), Rancho fourth (1-3), and Goldwater fifth (0-4).
Arcadia topped Sabino (25-14, 25-17), Dobson (25-9, 25-20), Rancho (25-15, 25-13), and Goldwater (25-6, 25-12); Sabino defeated Rancho (25-18, 25-21), Dobson (26-24, 16-25, 15-10), and Goldwater (25-19, 26-24); Dobson downed Goldwater (25-18, 25-14) and Rancho 25-13, 20-25, 15-9; and Rancho nixed Goldwater (25-15, 9-25, 15-5).
Morenci began week five of competition with a 3-set region win over the Tombstone Yellow Jackets in Wildcat Memorial Gymnasium Sept. 25 and a 3-set region loss to the Eagles in Thatcher on Sept. 27.
The Wildcats (4-3 region) visit Bisbee (0-5 region, 0-8 seeding, minus 12.4413 rating for No. 47) Oct. 3 and Benson (3-3, 6-4, 5.2677 for No. 12) Oct. 5, and host Bisbee Oct. 7, all for region pairings.
Morenci’s remaining region pairings include the Pima Roughriders (5-1, 8-2, 9.1374 for No. 8) in Wildcat Memorial Gymnasium on Oct. 10, the Cowgirls (3-2, 5-2, 3.6099 for No. 15) in Willcox on Oct. 17, the Yellow Jackets (1-5, 2-5, minus 1.8441 for No. 27) in Tombstone on Oct. 19, and the Thatcher Eagles (5-0 region) in Wildcat Memorial Gymnasium on Oct. 24.