On Saturday, November 8, 2025, Sierra Vista High School’s women’s volleyball team won the 4A Division State Championship in a thrilling match against Silverado High School. The Lady Mountain Lions played in four rounds of playoffs against numerous schools, such as Green Valley, Mojave, and Ranch High School. Each of these games resulted in wins for the team and led them to their final game and their first official title of 4A Division State Champions.
The intense four-set championship game left crowds in a frenzy of suspense. Despite the Silverado Skyhawks winning the first set of the game 15-25, the Sierra Vista Lady Mountain Lions came back and won the second set 25-21. With both teams in a state of anxious anticipation, the third set began. Each team fought hard, leading to the closest match in the game; Vista took the lead yet again and won the third match 25-23. The Mountain Lions and Skyhawks battled for the final set, but Vista took the championship with a great serve by number seven Presley Hartstrom, causing the Skyhawks to lose control of the ball, inevitably sending it out of the side of the court. The team rushed to the court, celebrating their win, and cheered as they accepted their medals and trophy.
Vista’s volleyball team worked hard to win the state championship. The team’s head coach, Raymond Maika reveals some of the work necessary as a coach, “After tryouts, we went to work immediately with incorporating our new underclassmen into different rotations and mixing them in with our returnees. We worked a lot on pressure situations and on mastering the basic fundamentals of the game. We also generated different live game scenarios to prepare us for stressful situations and to maintain our mental state during close matches. Our student-athletes challenged themselves and worked hard week in and week out and exceeded our expectations.” Maika goes on to express how the results of all of this hard work showed through their win “big time.” Sydney Masen (10), a captain and opposite hitter shares some of the work that went into the success of the team, “we put so much work into winning this title. Late practices, extra reps, conditioning when we were all tired and cranky, but we still pushed each other.” While the team worked until exhaustion on the court, off the court, the team came together and created a bond that led them throughout the entire season, playoffs, and eventually to the championship. Masen further explains, “honestly, the emotional stuff was just as big as the physical work. Our team went through a lot this year, but every time something tough happened, we came together instead of falling apart. We’d meet up at church and just talk or pray or laugh together, and it kept us close.” This off the court bond led the team to success.
While the bond the team maintained throughout the season and the hard work the team put in on the court significantly contributed to the success of the team, the coaching and leadership in the team deeply contributed to their ultimate success. Despite a new head coach for the first time in Sierra Vista women’s volleyball history, the team excelled. Masen reveals, “our team and coaching dynamic was honestly one of the biggest reasons we won. Our coaches weren’t just ‘coaches’, they were kinda like our best friends too… They never made us feel like we had to be perfect. They pushed us, but they also supported us. As a captain, I tried to bring the same vibe, being someone the team could talk to, laugh with, or cry with if they needed.” The leadership throughout the program helped mold a successful and hard-working championship team.
Winning the state championship felt “unreal” for many of the players. Masen reveals, “honestly, winning the state still feels kinda unreal. I knew we were good, but standing there with the trophy and everyone screaming, it didn’t even feel real. It was like everything slowed down, and I just kept thinking, Is this even happening?’ I am only a sophomore, and being part of something that huge just felt so surreal.” Coach Maika shares it feels “great” to win state as it “is our girls’ 1st state championship in school history.” Maika further credited the win to “the team, coaches, program, and school.” While the team’s other captain and starting middle blocker, Kenna Key (12), reveals, “I knew our team would win state before pre-season even began. I can remember confidently telling everyone how we were champs before we even played our first game… Actually winning the state championship game was better than I ever could’ve imagined. Watching my girls work so hard throughout the season and get rewarded so exponentially was overwhelming. I had so many mixed emotions, but most of all I was proud.”
The Lady Mountain Lions plan to continue their success streak into the 2026-2027 season. Masen shares, “I know success doesn’t just magically stay around. I plan to work even harder, stay disciplined, and keep encouraging my teammates. Being captain this year taught me a lot about responsibility and how much my attitude affects the whole team. I want to keep growing as a leader and make sure our team stays united and positive.” Coach Maika shares, “We will add more workouts to our offseason program and add more strength and conditioning sessions during our preseason and in-season practices. We’ll continue to promote our program within our school, charter school, and middle schools. It’s hard to win one state championship, but it’s even harder to repeat as state champions!” As a three-year varsity player and graduating senior, Key gives her best advice and parting words for the team next year, “… stay confident. I think Vista volleyball has some of the best seasons to come out of the entire program’s history. There’s so much talent and work ethic within that group of girls, and I was so lucky to witness it, even just for a year.” Good luck to Sierra Vista’s Lady Mountain Lions in their next season and congratulations on winning the women’s volleyball 4a State Championship. As Coach Maika says, “GO LIONS!”
