Whether it was emotion, momentum or just plain talent, no one would have been surprised if either Highland or Gilbert won the state boys volleyball championship on Saturday night.

Boys volleyball state championship

Gilbert’s boys volleyball earned its second consecutive spot in the Division I state championship match, and a bigger cheer inside the sportsmanship spotlight.

It took more than four hours, nine sets, and an upset of the No. 1 seed, to create an all-Gilbert final in the boys volleyball state tournament.

Cameron Dudley had a great view from the bench last year when the Gilbert boys volleyball team won the state title.

With a little adjustment – mental and strategic – the Brophy boys volleyball team's path in the postseason remains clear – the state quarterfinals are next, against a familiar foe.

After getting past No. 18 Ironwood Ridge in three games earlier in the day (25-17, 25-16, 25-19), No. 15 Hamilton ran into No. 2 Highland, who knocked the Huskies out of the second round of the boys state volleyball tournament, 25-17, 25-13, 25-18.

Boys volleyball state tournament outlook

Danielle Block has a hard time balancing the rigors of pitching and hitting.

What a difference a year makes.

The first round of the Division I state baseball tournament saw several upsets on Saturday.

Brophy Invitational

Red Mountain got a five-inning no-hitter from Marian Ruff as the Mountain Lions (21-5) beat Mesa, 11-0, on Tuesday.

Rick McConnell didn’t intend to spend the last 28 years coaching boys basketball at Dobson.

Down a run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, McClintock’s Andi Blodgett smacked a clutch two-run single to complete a nine-run rally as the Chargers’ beat visiting Westwood 10-9, Tuesday.

Tribune softball rankings as of April 1:

Mountain Pointe beat Downers Grove South (Illinois), 8-6, in the second round of the Horizon Tournament on Tuesday night at Mountain Pointe.

Taylor Waters hit a game-winning, three-run home run in the fifth inning to lift Basha to a 5-4 win over host Perry in a Division I, Section II baseball game Thursday.

A bad hop sent a baseball smashing into Riley Unroe’s face early in Tuesday afternoon’s game against Gilbert, causing a temporary stoppage in play.

Tribune softball rankings as of March 18:

There was nothing lucky or unlucky about No. 13.

Who'll stop the reign?