(GILBERT, Ariz.) Gilbert Christian volleyball handed a strong Fountain Hills squad its first official loss of the year on Tuesday, defeating the Falcons 3-1 (25-11, 21-25, 25-15, 25-25) to move to 2-2 overall. Fountain Hills drops to 2-1 with the loss.

The two teams also faced off over the weekend at the Longhorn Invitational, with the Knights recording an unofficial victory (15-21, 21-13, 9-5) over the Falcons, before the talented FH team took the tournament crown.

The Knights were led by senior Rio Taylor, who was one ace shy of the elusive triple-double, with her 19 digs, 14 assists and nine aces. She also garnered eight putdowns in the affair, to tie freshman Sienna Cathey as the kill-leader in the match-up.

"Rio always impresses me," Head Coach Alyssa Misuraca said. "She was one of our most consistently aggressive servers and hitters in this match, and she's never afraid to take a big swing or serve under pressure."

Sophomore Sophie Dickinson led all players defensively, posting an incredible 21 digs on the night. Her effort at libero in the fourth and final set propelled GCHS past the Falcons to secure the close victory.

Also central on defense was junior Kaila Aston, who recorded five solo blocks and a block assist in the contest. Aston played assertively all-around for Gilbert Christian, picking up digs, aces and kills in the decisive win.  

The Knights' sophomore class compiled many notable statistics in the team effort, as Alexia Heyn posted seven timely kills, three block assists and two solo blocks, while sophomore defensive specialist Sidney Loth consistently sacrificed her body to garner 10 digs. Loth also served up a pair of aces for GCHS.

Freshman Lillie Duitsman was accurate at the net, with the highest hitting percentage for the Knights. She nailed six spikes and had three blocks (two solo, one block-assist) on the night.  

Junior setter Emma Carraveo recorded a solid stat-line, with eight digs and seven assists in three sets of play.

"I think we served aggressively and consistently put pressure on them tonight," Misuraca said. "We really worked for every ball and never gave up. Moving forward, we will work on finding open spots faster on offense."

Veritas Prep is the next challenge for Gilbert Christian. The match-up is scheduled for Friday, September 8th at home (5:00pm).

-GO KNIGHTS-