Flagstaff Volleyball Sweeps Sahuaro in Play-In
The No. 11 seed Eagles beat No. 22 Sahuaro 25-9, 25-20, 25-18 to advance to the 4A Conference state tournament first round.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Volleyball
Flagstaff defeated Sahuaro in straight sets, 25-9, 25-20, 25-18, in the 4A Conference play-in round at War Memorial Gymnasium. The win advances the No. 11 seed Eagles to the first round of the state tournament.
Why it matters
The victory moves Flagstaff into the state tournament bracket, where it will face a higher-stakes field of qualifiers. A strong start in the first set set the tone for a match the Eagles controlled from start to finish.
Flagstaff took the first set 25-9 after leading 15-5 mid-set and served one ace through senior libero Brynn Hagerman. Sophomore opposite hitter Ari Koller's block helped extend the first-set lead to 11 points.
The players
Flagstaff volleyball
The Flagstaff High School volleyball program, known as the Eagles, competes in the 4A Conference and entered the state tournament as the No. 11 seed.
Beth Haglin
Flagstaff's head volleyball coach, who addressed the team's focus lapse after the opening set of the match.
The details
Flagstaff pulled away late in the second and third sets by forcing Sahuaro into errors and finding open court on kills. Head coach Beth Haglin said the team lost focus after its opening set, but the Eagles closed out the match in three sets.
Timeline
Tuesday: Flagstaff won the play-in match over Sahuaro at War Memorial Gymnasium.
Wednesday, 3 p.m.: State tournament matchups announced on the AZPreps365 YouTube channel.
Thursday: Flagstaff plays its first-round state tournament match.
Season Trajectory
The play-in win carries Flagstaff into the 4A state bracket, where seeding within the AZPreps365 field determines the path to the title. A No. 11 seed that advances from the play-in round positions the Eagles to compete against stronger opponents in the coming rounds.
Flagstaff's first-round state tournament date is set for Thursday, so fans can plan to watch the Eagles' next match. The matchup will be revealed Wednesday during the selection show on AZPreps365.
The takeaway
A play-in win is only the first step, and Flagstaff's focus after a slow opening set showed the value of closing out sets with discipline. Readers following local prep sports can track the state bracket once matchups are released Wednesday.
What happens next
State tournament matchups will be announced Wednesday at 3 p.m. on the AZPreps365 YouTube channel, and Flagstaff plays its first-round match Thursday.
Further reading
Find more coverage in the Volleyball section for Flagstaff's state tournament run.
