By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

​QUEEN CREEK — In the first decade of beach volleyball as a sanctioned sport in Arizona, one North Valley squad has been the definition of a dynasty.

The O’Connor Eagles wrapped up their fourth consecutive Division I crown by sweeping Xavier Prep, 3-0, April 30 in the team finals at Casteel High School. The duos of Leyton Heldt and Kaylee Woodruff, Kaiya Kearney and Imani Huesca and Sami Mondino and Alyssa Archiello were all victorious against the rival Gators.

Coach Jamey Spartz — after being doused by a water cooler again —said this year’s team was bolstered by strong freshman and sophomore players.

“We can keep building,” Spartz said. “We had three freshmen who contributed to varsity this year. The level of play and the number of schools with strong programs is really rising with the popularity of the sport, though.”

The Eagles finished a 16-0 season and have not lost a match as a team since March 2022. After graduationg six seniors from the 2024 champions, O'Connor's young crew pushed its winning streak to 59.

Mondino and Archiello are sophomores; three Eagle juniors played April 30. But most championships are won with at least some senior leadership; senior Leyton Heldt teamed with junior Kaylee Woodruff to easily win their two-set match against Xavier.

Heldt can say she was a state champion all four years of high school beach volleyball.

“We’re really close, and I wouldn’t ask for a different group to do this with,” Heldt said. “The competition was hard. Facing Xavier is always intense.”

Wednesday, April 30

DIVISION I ARIZONA TEAM BEACH VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Finals — at Casteel H.S., Queen Creek

SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR 3, XAVIER PREP 0

Matches completed:

No. 2: Leyton Heldt / Kaylee Woodruff, OC, def. Kylie Barr / Emma Robescu, 21-17, 21-13; No. 3: Kaiya Kearney / Imani Huesca, OC, def. Elle Freeland / Gracie Graf, 21-9, 21-13; No. 4: Sami Mondino / Alyssa Archiello, OC, def. Sophia Peterson / Delaney McHale, 21-16, 21-8.

Jason W. Brooks
Associate Editor

Jason W. Brooks is a News editor for the Daily Independent and the Chandler Independent.

He covers the Chandler area for both yourvalley.net and the monthly print edition while writing for and assisting in the production of the Daily Independent.

Brooks is a well-traveled journalist who has documented life in small American communities in nearly all U.S. time zones.

Born in Washington, D.C. and raised there and in suburban Los Angeles, he has covered community news in California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska and northern Arizona.