By Brittany Bowyer
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PHOENIX — It was the first round of the playoffs, and Saguaro was playing the Eastmark Firebirds at home in what was a battle between the two of them.

Leading up to the game, sophomore Sloan Kribel knew she was closing in on a career milestone of 1,000 kills.

Filled with anticipation, Kribel attempted to count down the kills until she got to a thousand as she was out on the floor playing.

On the bench, her teammates were counting down, too, anxiously awaiting their opportunity to erupt in celebration.

“The nice thing was it was in the fourth set,” Saguaro Head Coach John Bundy said. “We had gotten a good lead, and so knowing where she’s at, I had the girls on the bench count down the last three kills.”

Not really paying much attention to the number, Kribel hammered a ball down that sent her teammates into celebration mode.

“It was kinda funny, she was very honed in on the game so she actually missed the moment and didn’t realize it was her thousandth until afterwards,” Bundy said. “Her thousandth one was just a back row attack and just one of the plays she makes looks normal for her that just takes a lot of athleticism and talent.

For Kribel, achieving the 1,000 career kill mark as a sophomore was almost surreal.

“I was just happy,” Kribel said. “It was a really exciting moment.”

According to the record books, Kribel is only the third sophomore in state history to record 1000 kills as a sophomore. The other two players to do so were Chanel Brown of Valley Christian High School and Macey Gardner from Gilbert.

“Being only the third sophomore in state history to do it, that’s a pretty amazing accomplishment,” Bundy said.

“I mean, it kind of just shows all the training I’ve been through and how much my coaches have really pushed me into being the best player I can be,” Kribel said. “It really shows.”

Bundy said he realized Kribel’s talent at one of the  first practices he saw her and teammate Nylah Bibby playing together.

“The very first practice, seeing them both hit, I knew I had something special with the two of them,” Bundy said about Kribel and Bibby. “I think we probably have the best outside combination in the state, at least at the 4A level if not all over.”

Part of what sets Kribel apart from other hitters Bundy has coached is her ability to be versatile.

“Her versatility with her attacks,” Bundy said. “She goes cross, she goes line, even on just broken plays, she has a shot to get a good, powerful hit off.”

Kribel said she hasn’t always played this fearlessly and aggressive on the court. Despite having a strong freshman season, she was both scared and nervous to do anything new when she first was getting started.

“I think my teammates really helped me grow more comfortable,” Kribel said.

Kribel also said her attitude towards the game has changed, and her all-around skillset has also grown.

Although just a sophomore, Kribel pulls a large portion of the offensive weight in each game. Bundy said if you look at the stats, she accounts for about 40% of all the team’s hits.

Her rise to dominance this season started early when the Sabercats were forced to play without Bibby going into a big tournament.

“We were missing (Bibby) because she had to go down and do a celebration for her dad at UofA for basketball,” Bundy said. “(Kribel) had to take a lot more responsibility on her shoulders and just seeing her as a leader and getting the girls to come together and seeing the potential she has, I think that was the moment I realized we are in really really good hands.”

“Honestly, I don’t really mind the pressure,” Kribel said. “I’d rather put everything on to me”

Kribel has big goals for volleyball career, extending beyond high school. Next up on the list of things to accomplish for Kribel is the 2000 career kill mark before the end of her senior year. According to Bundy, she’s also about 800 kills away from the all-time record in 4A, something she can certainly work towards breaking in her next two seasons.

Kribel also said she’s looking forward to committing to a strong collegiate program she falls in love with, and hopes to continue playing on after college.

Meanwhile for Bundy, he shares the same personal goals for Kribel while also thinking they may be able to bring home a state championship with her help.

“As a team, I think with her there, we are always going to be a contender and can face off with anyone across the net,” Bundy said. “We may not win, but we’re going to be competitive and make it rough for some back rows.”

Brittany Bowyer is a Report for America corps member, covering sports for Independent Newsmedia in Arizona. Report for America places talented journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and regions.