The Fountain Hills High School boys volleyball team struggled in its first match back from spring break, but rallied in its second game to pull off a come from behind victory.

The Falcons’ first match last week was on March 20 against Mesquite High School. FHHS lost the match in three sets; 25-15, 25-16 and 25-16.

The team’s final match of the week was the next day, March 21, against Combs High School. The Falcons lost the first two sets but came back to win the game in the last three sets; 22-25, 17-25, 25-17, 25-14 and 15-8.

FHHS only has one match this week, which will be away at Campo Verde on Thursday, March 28, starting at 5:15 p.m.

Mesquite

Head coach Halle Harker said she knows that Mesquite is a good program but that didn’t stop her from thinking that the Falcons could hang with them.

“Mesquite is a great team and I don’t want to take anything away from them,” Harker said. “I just truly believe that we are one the most athletic teams because of the hard work the guys have been putting in. For that reason, I believe that we can play against almost anyone.”

Unfortunately, the team didn’t share Harker’s confidence.

“It was during warm-ups, where they saw Mesquite warming up and running drills, that the guys came up to me and were like, ‘Wow these guys are really good,’” Harker said. “So I think that is where they started to freak out and doubt themselves.”

Psyched out, the Falcons struggled on the court and ultimately lost in three straight sets.

Combs

The Falcons’ match against Combs marked another first for the new program, a full five-set match.

“In our previous games we have either swept the team in three sets or we have been swept in three sets,” Harker said. “So it was exciting to get to five sets, but sometimes a five set game isn’t what you’re prepared for.”

When a match goes five sets it nears the two-hour mark, which isn’t what Harker was worried about being prepared for since she runs two-hour practices.

What concerned her was the fifth set’s unique point structure. Instead of 25 being the winning point, it is 15 points to win in the fifth set.

“So that is what we talked about in our two minutes between sets,” Harker said. “How you have to be mindful of every point in the fifth set and you have to be in the moment. You can’t think about that point you missed two plays ago. The only one that matters is the point you’re playing now.”

The pep talk between sets worked and the Falcons finished the fifth set 15-8 to win the match.