Reaves leaps into top spot

Ironwood senior makes impact with jumping skills

José E. Garcia
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 26, 2006 12:00 AM

This pick may surprise some - unless they look at what transpired throughout the season.

Glendale Ironwood enjoyed the program's best year (39-2 record), with championship victories in the regular season's biggest tournaments - Mesa Westwood of Champions and the Goldwater Volleyball Festival - and a state runner-up finish in the Class 5A Division II state tournament.

When it came down to it, from the opening serve of the season to the final point, Ironwood outside hitter Sarah Reaves had the greatest impact on her team throughout. As such she is The Republic's choice as girls volleyball Player of the Year.

A couple of the state's best players were missing at the start of the year because of injuries, but they were all present by October when the Goldwater tournament was played, with Reaves leading Ironwood to the final. She also took her team to the 5A-II championship match, where a talented, veteran Scottsdale Desert Mountain team beat the Eagles.

Reaves is known around the state for her jumping ability. What may be more impressive about her is the jump she's made since becoming a serious volleyball player.

"Oh, yeah, it's hard to believe," Reaves said about how much she's grown as a volleyball player.

Reaves first took up track and was an exceptional sprinter before getting to high school.

The senior, however, got tired of the sport that kept her away from the pool because of track meets she had to attend during the summer. Her mom, Lora, and dad, Everette, ran track in high school.

Reaves gave volleyball a try as a freshman, and friends immediately marveled at how high Reaves got when she jump-served and went up for a kill. By her sophomore season Reaves was helping Ironwood establish itself in a competitive volleyball arena in the Valley by beating the Phoenix Xaviers of the world.

Some of Reaves more memorable matches came against Xavier, which Ironwood beat in the state quarterfinals two seasons ago and in the final of the Goldwater Volleyball Festival this season. Ironwood finished ranked No. 46 by PrepVolleyball.com, which was the highest finish by an Arizona team this year.

Next year Reaves will suit up for Arizona State and play with former Player of the Year Margie Giordano from Glendale Mountain Ridge.

Reaves and Giordano each are each 5 feet 10, which is short for an outside hitter, but Giordano is off to a successful start on the outside, which is where Reaves also wants to play.

Reaves will graduate from Ironwood as the school's career kill leader with 1,049 and second in career digs with 759.

"She is one of the finest volleyball players to come through Ironwood in its 20 year history," Ironwood coach Kathy Wilson said. "She led by example on the court night after night and made those around her better. She always wanted what was best for her team, not herself."

 

Honor reflects progress Ironwood senior has made

José E. Garcia
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 24, 2006 12:00 AM

Sarah Reaves must be modest.

She never mentions that she's also the returning Class 5A Division II long jump champion or that she was the runner-up in the triple jump last season. Most people know her for jumping on volleyball courts.

What may be more impressive about her is the jump she has made since becoming a serious volleyball player. Reaves has come a long way since her days as a raw volleyball talent as a freshman at Ironwood High School. She was named The Republic's West Valley Volleyball Player of the Year this season.

"Oh yeah, it's hard to believe," Reaves said.

Reaves first took up track and was an exceptional sprinter before getting to high school.

The senior, however, got tired of the sport that kept her away from the pool because of track meets she had to attend during the summer.

Reaves' mother, Lora, and father, Everette, ran track in high school. By the time she was a freshman, Reaves decided to give volleyball a try.

Friends marveled at how high Reaves got when she jump-served. Those friends eventually noticed that her kills were just as impressive.

By her sophomore season, Reaves was helping Ironwood establish itself in a competitive volleyball arena and beating the Xavier Preps of the world. Some of Reaves' most memorable matches came against Xavier, which Ironwood beat in the state quarterfinals two seasons ago and in the final of the Goldwater Volleyball Festival this season.

Ironwood also won the state's other top regular-season tournament, the Mesa Westwood Tournament of Champions, this season for the first time. Ironwood lost only two matches this season, one to Xavier during a pool match in the Goldwater tournament and the other in the state final against another good team, Scottsdale Desert Mountain. Ironwood finished 39-2 and was ranked No. 46 by PrepVolleyball.com., which was the highest finish by an Arizona team this year.

Reaves will get plenty of chances at more volleyball glory.

She continues to play for the club, Zia, she started with as a freshman, and next year she'll suit up for Arizona State and play with Maggie Giordano, a former West Valley Player of the Year from Mountain Ridge. Reaves and Giordano are 5 feet 10, which is short for an outside hitter, but Giordano is off to a successful start on the outside, which is where Reaves also wants to play.

Reaves will graduate from Ironwood as the school's career kill leader with 1,049 and is second in career digs with 759.

"She (Reaves) is one of the finest volleyball players to come through Ironwood in its 20-year history," Ironwood coach Kathy Wilson said.

Ironwood takes out Xavier

José E. Garcia
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 8, 2006 01:29 AM

Glendale Ironwood thanked Phoenix Xavier for relieving the pressure of its record, and Xavier paid the price for it.

Ironwood entered the Phoenix Goldwater Volleyball Festival tournament undefeated and with a No..1 Class 5A Division II ranking, but it was also feeling the stress with every win it tallied. Then came Xavier, which handed Ironwood its first loss during the Goldwater tournament.

The two teams met again in Saturday's tournament final, and this time a more relaxed Ironwood team walked away from Phoenix Goldwater's gym with a 25-21, 25-23 victory and the championship trophy.

“It was a bit of a relief,” said Ironwood coach Kathy Wilson about her team's first loss.

The options Ironwood carries also helped calm the team, and setter Kristi Friesen is finding her weapons.

The sophomore setter admitted she gets nervous in championship matches, but she also thrives in them.

“I do a lot better when I'm nervous,” Friesen said. Anywhere, anything, whatever I set them (teammates) they put it down.”

The opponents' game plan is usually geared toward stopping Ironwood's senior outside hitter Sarah Reaves, but that strategy may backfire.

Reeves had only three kills in Game 1, as Ironwood's defense and all around attack kept Xavier off-balance. “I hope other programs now realize that we are also capable of coming up with big wins,” Reeves said. Ironwood's Kim Moses and Bethany Sanford are also capable of coming up with big plays.

Moses and Sanford's digs on an outside hitter led to a point and a 7-4 Ironwood lead in Game 1. Xavier came back to take a 9-7 lead with the help of Kristin Preach's serves to Ironwood's back row.

Later in Game 1, Moses and Sanford once again came through. Moses collected two more digs, and a Sanford back row kill gave Ironwood a 17-15 lead.

Sanford added the final point in Game 1 when she hammered a shot straight down the line with two blockers up. Reeves also had a momentum-building dig in Game 2 that put Ironwood ahead 17-15, but Xavier didn't go away. Junior Kelsey Bohman's dig on Reeves' hard kill attempt led to a Xavier point to cut Ironwood's lead, 22-20. But Reaves (six kills in Game 2) closed Game 2 with a solo block and a kill off a blocker from the right side.

“They (Ironwood) wanted it,” Xavier coach Tim McHale said. “They executed and played well. I'm disappointed, but we responded in this tournament.”

Xavier is young, but reaching the final helped his team understand what it takes to win big games, McHale said. The team that is ahead of the 5A-II title race is Ironwood (30-1), which also won the Mesa Westwood Tournament of Champions this season. Winning at Westwood and Goldwater means Ironwood is the best volleyball team in Arizona.

Read about Samantha Eastburn, one of the 17-Fury's finest. She was featured in the Glendale Star. Go here to read her article.

Sarah Reaves Commits To Arizona State

Junior Sarah Reaves, a 5-10 outside hitter for the 18-Garra team and a member of Zia for the past

Reaves, who was a second team All-State selection and the Desert West Region Player of the Year was eyed by several schools including Cal-State Fullerton, Concordia University, Washington State University, UNLV and New Mexico to name but a few.

Reaves is the first Zia athlete to play in the PAC-10 conference, considered the best volleyball conference in the nation. She will join Garra assistant coaches Margie Giordano and Giovanna Melo who are also with the team; Giordano as an outside hitter and Melo who is the team’s volunteer Assistant Coach.

Congratulations to Sarah for her accomplishment and best wishes to her in the future!

Zia Garners Scholarships for All Recruits

Cementing its claim as the leader in volleyball in the west valley, Zia is exceptionally proud to announce that ALL of its recruits for the 2006 season have signed letters of intent to play college volleyball.

Senior setter Aumee Barrett has signed a letter of intent to play with Phoenix College next season.

 

 

 

Joining Aumee will be opposite hitter Shellie Parks who also will join first year coach Karen Sitkiewicz in the Bear Den.

P.C. had already signed Zia athletes Lisa Doremus and Michelle Burrola and they all join Zia alum Jenny Chamberlin on next year’s roster.

 

Finalizing Zia’s success in the recruiting arena was Senior Kelly McDonald who has signed to play for Coach Pat Mooney at South Mountain Community College.

 

They join seniors Ashley Getz who has signed with Embry-Riddle University and Nicki Wanninger who signed with Yavapai College, both schools in Prescott.

Congratulations and best of luck to these wonderful Zia girls in their future volleyball careers.