Olivia Long slept well last Thursday night after not getting a wink of sleep on Monday, Oct. 11. The head volleyball coach at Fountain Hills High School said her varsity team had a “come to Jesus moment” after the first of three games during fall break, and there was a big change in the team’s mentality between the three games.

“The energy was gone [on Monday],” Long said. “We could not move our feet, we couldn’t get the simplest digs, and our serve receive was off.”

The varsity Falcons lost 3-0 to Eastmark High School on Monday, Oct. 11. The match was originally scheduled earlier in the season, when the Falcons were quarantined. The Falcons were missing four varsity players, and Long said the team had lost its edge after two tough region losses the week before.

Long said her players picked up the pace and played noticeably harder on Tuesday when the Falcons defeated region opponent Camp Verde 3-1 at home. The Cowboys took their second region loss of the season, and the Falcons moved to 2-3 in 3A North Central.

Thursday was the true test of the Falcons’ new mindset. The Falcons started strong and had to play five sets of competitive volleyball for the first time in over a month.

Chino Valley

The Falcons erupted an 8-2 lead over the Cougars and won the first set 25-11. Long knew that Chino Valley was having a slow start and it was only a matter of time before they found a groove. The Cougars looked like a different team starting in the second set, and the Falcons had to keep up.

“They were probably not anticipating how strong we were going to come out,” Long said. “Once they found their groove, that meant a lot of adjustments with our defense. We really had to cover the block and that’s something we struggled with the entire night, but I saw a lot of improvements.”

The Falcons’ defense was scrappy, and the players were constantly diving and throwing their bodies to get to the ball. Their defense helped them climb back into each set when they were down. The Falcons were down 19-15 in the second set but tied it and made it 24-24. Sophomore Sophie Wickland, which Long commended both offensively and defensively, had her kill blocked on the last play, and the Falcons lost the second set 26-24.

The Falcons kept things tight in the third, and early on it was tied at four points apiece. The teams each had a short run of three or four points before becoming tied again at 11-11. The teams stayed within two points of each other until the Falcons were down 24-20. The Falcons showed grit, and they won seven of the next eight points. The Falcons stole the third set from under the Cougars, 27-25.

“There was a desire to win today that I haven’t seen,” Long said. “There’s a spark that’s been missing for the last couple of weeks and they showed that tonight. They showed they want to compete, they’re here to win, and they did.”

The Falcons were up but needed to clinch a third set to win. They started to lag behind the Cougars in the fourth set but went on an 8-4 run to make it 20-18 with the Cougars still in control. The Falcons fought hard to bring it within two points but lost the set 25-23.

With the loss, the Falcons headed into a fifth set for the second time this season. The last time they played five sets, the Falcons lost at Payson on Sept. 2. This time would be different.

The Falcons lost the first three points but tied the game at 5-5. After dropping another three points, the Falcons tied the game at 12-12 and never trailed again. Freshman Jocelyn Bloedel got a point off a block, and Wickland had the final two kills in the Falcons’ region win over Chino Valley.

Long was pleased with the effort and heart her team played with. The Falcons need to keep their foot on the gas if they want a chance at playoffs this season.

The Falcons’ record is 5-11 (3-3), but Long said the toughest part of their schedule is behind them. The Falcons have five regular season games and one tournament left, with two matches and the tournament this week. On Tuesday, Oct. 19, the Falcons traveled to Bourgade Catholic, a region team they’ve already bested once, and on Thursday, Oct. 21, the Falcons host Northwest Christian.

The Crusaders are 9-15 (5-1) and hold second place in the 3A North Central standings. Long said Northwest Christian is the only team left on the schedule that concerns her, since the Falcons lost in their first match-up.

The San Tan tournament this Friday and Saturday will be the first for the Falcons since Sept. 4. The Falcons have come a long way since then, but the new attitude they have could carry them even further.