vs
| 04/01/25 - Away | 3-0 W |
| 03/31/22 - Home | 3-2 W |
| 03/25/22 - Neutral | 2-1 W |
| 04/01/21 - Away | 3-0 W |
Ironwood Ridge is a perfect 4-0 against Sahuaro since April of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Nighthawks will host the Cougars at 5:30 p.m. Considering both teams were shutout in their prior games, the pair is probably coming into this one with something to prove.
Ironwood Ridge came into their game on Tuesday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They lost 3-0 to Mica Mountain. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Nighthawks have suffered since April 3rd.
The match was exciting from start to finish, as two sets needed extra rallies to gain a two-point lead. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-17, 26-24, 26-24.
Jayce Soto-Balin put forth a good effort for the losing side as he had 13 digs and four assists.
Meanwhile, Sahuaro came up short against Salpointe Catholic on Tuesday, falling 3-0. The Cougars have struggled against the Lancers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost meeting.
While Sahuaro was not able to make it on the board, they still kept things close, especially in the second set. The match finished with set scores of 25-18, 25-22, 25-16.
Ironwood Ridge's loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 12-11. As for Sahuaro, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-13.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Thursday's match: Ironwood Ridge has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 5.9 aces per game. However, it's not like Sahuaro struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.6 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything went Ironwood Ridge's way against Sahuaro in their previous meeting on April 1st, as Ironwood Ridge made off with a 3-0 victory. Do the Nighthawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
