The Fountain Hills High School varsity volleyball team improved to 15-4 with wins over Scottsdale Christian Academy (SCA) Tuesday, Sept. 26.

The team bested Wickenburg Wednesday, Sept. 27. The Falcons are 7-2 in nontournament games, and off to a 4-0 start in region play.

Last year, the Falcons lost both region games to SCA. They lost 3-0 at SCA, and they lost 3-2 at home. Head coach Olivia Long had previously said the Falcons had been building up over the past two seasons to be able to beat good teams like SCA. The Falcons have 12 upperclassmen this year, six seniors and six juniors, and they won 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 27-25).

“We were the little kids for so long,” third year starter senior Sydney Boeshans said. “Sophomore year on varsity, we were all 15-16.”

SCA was No. 8 on the initial Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) rankings and Fountain Hills was No. 13. The Falcons are aiming to make playoffs and avoid the play-in tournament completely by holding a top eight ranking by the end of the season. They took the No. 8 spot away from SCA and the Eagles fell to No. 12.

“I don’t think it matters that much,” junior Zoe Kohoutek said. “It comes down to where your final ranking is on AIA.”

The Falcons won their fourth consecutive road game against SCA, and they finished their long, seven-game road stretch at Wickenburg. The Falcons took care of business against the No. 40 Wranglers and won 3-0 (25-7, 25-17, 25-20).

Over the last two seasons, the Falcons occasionally stumbled and played down to an opponent’s level. They haven’t had those same issues through the first month of the season, and that’s helped them stay confident and mentally resilient.

“I think it was the tournament that gave us confidence,” Kohoutek said. “When we took down Higley, which is a huge school, I think that gave us confidence to be like ‘these aren’t that big of schools anymore.’”

The Falcons placed first in the Longhorn Invitational when they beat 5A Higley, and more recently, the Falcons took third place in the Coconino Classic. The Falcons will play in one more tournament, the Florence VB Invitational, from Friday, Oct. 13, to Saturday, Oct. 14.

“It’s the senior’s last tournament,” Kohoutek said. “I think that’s the motivation. It’s the last tournament, so we have to win.”

The Falcons went 5-2 in seven straight non-tournament games on the road, and now have six home games from Thursday, Sept. 28, to Thursday, Oct. 19.

The first home opponent, No. 4 Northwest Christian, will be the biggest challenge. Then, they will host No. 35 Bourgade Catholic Monday, Oct. 2, and No. 38 Chino Valley Wednesday, Oct. 4. All games start at 6 p.m.

The Falcons host No. 26 Camp Verde Thursday, Oct. 12. After the Florence tournament, the Falcons will host Wickenburg Tuesday, Oct. 17, and then SCA Thursday, Oct. 19.