The Phoenix Country Day Eagles are fueled by their mission to reclaim the state championship after last season’s heartbreaking loss. (Photo by Natalie Lopez/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX – It was one loss. One loss in a season otherwise stuffed with wins. One measly, soul-crushing loss from last November that should be a distant, fuzzy memory.
But not for Phoenix Country Day, which has one of the most dominant girls volleyball teams in the Valley’s 2A region. Part of that success comes from Kat Glaeseman, the team’s coach who brought in a new identity for the squad when she took over the program.
Between 2021 and Thursday night, Phoenix Country Day had won 57 and lost five matches in the regular season, while winning two state titles in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, the Eagles had their best year yet, going undefeated with a 17-0 record in the regular season. However, after reaching the 2A finals for a third consecutive season, Phoenix Country Day suffered an upset, losing to Trivium Preparatory Academy, marking the Eagles’ lone defeat that year.
The loss snapped Phoenix Country Day’s quest for a three-peat that would have made the team one of four schools to complete that achievement. Rather than allowing that devastating defeat to affect their offseason and perhaps the 2024 season, Glaeseman believes this is only just the beginning for her and the program.
“After we lost last year, I was sad that it wasn’t enough to win,” Glaeseman said. “Despite that, one of my players, Quincy (Rodin), texted me the day after the loss and said ‘redemption tour starts today’ so they are so motivated to take back what they lost last year.”
Phoenix Country Day senior opposite hitter Quincy Rodin goes up for a kill against Arizona Lutheran on Oct. 2, 2024. (Photo by Natalie Lopez/Cronkite News)
The tour appeared to be in full swing – until Thursday night, when the same team that wrecked the Eagles’ 2023 dreams again swatted away Phoenix Country Day’s undefeated streak. Phoenix Country Day, ranked No. 1 in the region, suffered its first loss of the season, losing on the road 3-1 (17-25, 26-24, 29-27, 25-13) to Trivium Academy, the team that beat Phoenix Country Day in last year’s championship game. That dropped the Eagles to 10-1 overall after winning 31 sets and only losing six.
Before Thursday’s loss, the Eagles had dominated from where they left off last year, with seniors Rodin and Mia Warner leading the way.
Rodin, an opposite hitter, has been on the varsity level since she was a freshman in 2021. She has embraced the culture of Phoenix Country Day as a squad of never giving up and leaving everything on the court. After suffering the loss in the finals, she knew what was at stake heading into this season.
Despite an offseason filled with remorse and regret, Rodin was prepared to take a leadership role within the squad. As one of six seniors for Phoenix Country Day, her only thought was to make sure she’s able to do everything she can to bring back the title to her school. Rodin reminisced about last year’s final as something she can look back on to motivate her to become better this season.
“I hate losing more than I enjoy winning,” Rodin said. “Looking back, I wish we had one more practice to prepare for that game, but I think that made us more hungry for this year. It made us now think that anything is possible in this sport and the championship isn’t guaranteed because we were undefeated in the regular season. We’re excited and ready to go back, but with a different ending.”
One of Phoenix Country Day’s biggest charms is the ability to view the game as having fun. That’s the reason why the majority of the players say they play volleyball and why they continue to work hard to lead a successful program.
Senior middle blocker Mia Warner, along with teammate Lyzbeth Sandoval, rises for a block as Phoenix Country Day looks to maintain their dominant 2024 season in pursuit of another state title. (Photo by Natalie Lopez/Cronkite News)
During the offseason, Phoenix Country Day hosted open gyms for people to come and enjoy a game of volleyball. They built a connection with students who wanted help to improve and continue to give the team the support they need.
Warner, a middle blocker, has also been with the squad since her freshman year and talks about the team’s maturity and how the veterans can correlate that towards helping the upcoming younger players.
“Me and Quincy are the only seniors who have been part of the squad since our freshman year,” Warner said. “The skillset has grown between us and I want to leave that behind for the younger players. Last season we were undefeated, but lost in the finals. We can’t let one game define our season as failure. We had a successful season last year, but didn’t quite finish strong. We’re hungry and ready to go all out for my last season.”
The girls volleyball team for Phoenix Country Day has been through a journey in the past three seasons. From winning back-to-back titles to falling short in the quest for a three-peat, it’s easy to say that the team is battle-tested and ready to prove once again that it deserves the No. 1 ranking in 2A, along with a third title in four years.
Athletic Director Shane Lewis views this team with high hopes and knows what the players are capable of. The support has been through the roof for Phoenix Country Day and he expects it to keep rising as the season heads into the final month of the regular season.
“To be able to play for a championship is always a privilege,” Lewis said. “I’m proud of these girls for the way they handled the loss (in last year’s title game) and used it as motivation to win it all this year. The students have their backs, and quite frankly, everyone will be cheering for the team. Every high school season is a journey for them to write history.”
