SUNRISE REGION: Byrne, Gators squash Vikings’ surge for playoff win

Even the biggest lead can slip away quickly in volleyball, and Green Valley’s James Byrne saw one evaporating Tuesday.

That’s when he knew it was time to take over.

With the Gators struggling to finish off Valley, the veteran senior logged seven kills and an ace in the fourth set, leading Green Valley to a 25-13, 25-18, 19-25, 25-18 victory over the Vikings in the Sunrise Region boys volleyball tournament at Green Valley.

“We’ve been practicing being down and coming back,” said Byrne, who finished with 12 kills and six blocks. “When no one else was able to pick it up, I felt it was my time to get it done.”

After two sets, it seemed Byrne wouldn’t need to spark any comeback, as the Gators (10-5) cruised to relatively easy victories. But a third-set service ace by Peter Nunes gave Valley (13-7) a 12-11 lead, and the Vikings seized all the momentum.

“We knew they were tough, probably the best Valley team in many years,” Green Valley coach Kevin Barney said. “We wanted to focus on playing defense the way we can play defense, and to play to our strengths.”

But the Gators committed several errors in the third and fourth sets, allowing the Vikings to make it interesting.

“I think it was just a matter of focus,” Barney said. “When you’re not playing well, one error turns into two or three. It’s just a mentality thing.”

Valley jumped to a 6-5 lead in the fourth set, and that’s when Byrne came to the rescue. His powerful kill gave Green Valley an 11-9 lead as the Gators went on a 16-6 scoring spurt.

But Green Valley continued to commit errors late in the game, allowing the Vikings to cut their deficit to 22-18 by scoring six consecutive points.

“We showed character,” Vikings coach Matt Porter said. “Our players just didn’t give up, and that’s a really good sign for the future.”

Green Valley scored the final three points of the fourth set, capped by Dimitri Santos’ thunderous kill on set point.

Santos also served eight aces, and brother Donovan Santos had 34 assists for the Gators, who also got 12 kills and five blocks from Wesley Reed.

Green Valley will face Silverado in a region semifinal at 3:40 p.m. Thursday at Legacy.

Nunes led Valley with 23 assists. Teammate Lorenzo Capanollo spiked eight kills, Jack Heavey added seven kills, and Matt Ballaro contributed six kills for the Vikings.

Coronado 3, Rancho 0 — The Cougars withstood a third-set rally to post a sweep of the Rams, 25-17, 25-14, 25-18.

Connor Stephenson led Coronado (16-4) with 34 assists and five blocks. Teammates Brandon Dau, Austin Moiseyev and Tyler Cucullu finished with nine kills apiece.

Coronado will meet Las Vegas in a region semifinal at 7 p.m. Thursday at Legacy.

Guillermo Silva had 10 kills to lead Rancho (11-9), which grabbed a 7-5 lead before faltering midway through the third set. R’Mond Hill added five kills and an ace for the Rams, and teammate Jarik Wasson dished out 10 assists.

Las Vegas 3, Foothill 0 — The top-seeded Wildcats overcame a sluggish start and cruised to a 25-17, 25-19, 25-10 win over the Falcons.

Foothill (11-9) started strong and led 15-13 midway through the first set. But the Falcons self-destructed with numerous errors down the stretch, and Las Vegas (19-1) scored 12 of the final 14 points of the first set and cruised to the win.

Garrett Jones led the Wildcats with 10 kills. Levi Mackelprang added seven kills for Las Vegas, and teammate Evany Diaz logged 25 assists and seven digs.

Kendell Andrews led Foothill with nine kills, and teammate Caleb Hutchinson added five kills.

Silverado 3, Canyon Springs 1 — The Pioneers put up a battle before falling to the Skyhawks, 25-20, 25-14, 23-25, 25-10.

Kyle Divicino led Silverado (18-2) with eight of his match-high 16 kills in the decisive fourth set. Teammate Curtis Hadland added 11 kills and four aces, and Hunter Witt had five kills and four aces.

Adam Tuala and Immanuel Tufuga led Canyon Springs (13-7) with eight kills apiece. Teammate James Harris added six kills.