By Rebecca Daly
Staff Writer
Wednesday Night’s Athletes Unlimited Game of the Week is sure to be a thriller between No. 1 Xavier Prep and No. 3 Sunnyslope is set to bring a championship preview.
Xavier Prep is still undefeated at 11 wins, sweeping every single opponent in the regular season so far. Sunnyslope currently has a 9-2 record, putting both teams in high contention for the championship.
This is the first time the two teams are meeting so far this season, with the home-court advantage going to Xavier. There is no doubt Sunnyslope will bring the heat in this high level matchup.
Both of these teams are dominant on the court using teamwork as a key factor in each of its successes. The players work together and are successful because they know that they can rely on each other to get the job done.
However, Sunnyslope does have a challenge on the road against the Gators. The Vikings’ only two losses include No. 2Sandra Day O’Connor, the only team ranked higher than them after Xavier. The other loss is from No. 4 Corona del Sol, ranked just below them. The Vikings have to tighten up to beat out the teams surrounding them.
A player to look out for this game is Xavier sophomore outside hitter Tessa Larkin. She is 15th in the state for kills with 299. She is an important young asset to the Gators who can get them points.
Sunnyslope senior outside hitter Zoe Haan is a player to look out for on the other side of the court. She has 178 kills this season and her best games were against the Vikings’ biggest opponents. Considering Xavier is Sunnyslope’s toughest opponent yet, if the trend continues, Haan is expected to have a big game Wednesday night.
The last time Sunnyslope competed in the championship was in 2019, when the team won under current head coach, Amber Greer. That was Sunnyslope's last year in the 5A Conference, and has been working its way up the 6A rankings and competed in the tournament every year since.
Similarly, In 2017 and 2018 Xavier Prep won the State Championship, but has not been back since. Although the Gators still competed in the tournament each year since then, this season’s trajectory looks a bit different than the past few, setting them up to be in the best position to carry out the school’s championship traditions.
Wednesday night’s game will show if Sunnyslope can keep up with the highest competition of volleyball in the valley.
Comentarios