(GOODYEAR, Ariz.) No. 4 Gilbert Christian turned in a statement performance on Saturday, sweeping both of its state tournament challengers to earn a spot in the AIA 3A Volleyball Semifinal Round. The Knights showed poise, power, and depth on the court, cruising past Tuba City in the opener before taking down fifth-seeded Monument Valley in the quarterfinals.

Gilbert Christian rolled past TCHS in straight sets (25-14, 25-14, 25-12) courtesy of a balanced attack by senior Alexia Heyn and junior Lillie Duitsman, who each tallied 13 kills against the Warriors. Junior Sienna Cathey also hit double-digits for the Knights, adding 11 putdowns of her own, while sophomore Ashlyn Kirby chipped in 8. Senior setter Sidney Loth directed the offense with 30 assists, and sophomore Kendall Moore added 10 more. Defensively, sophomore libero Shay Loth was locked in, anchoring the back row with 18 digs, while Duitsman and Cathey managed 8 apiece. Loth (Shay) also served up four aces in the match, to lead all players.

The Knights carried the same momentum into the evening's quarterfinal matchup against Monument Valley. Despite a rowdy crowd, Gilbert Christian stayed composed, delivering another sweep (25-17, 25-6, 25-19), and silencing the opposition to advance to the round of four.

Versus the Mustangs, Shay Loth was in her bag once again, leading the defense with a whopping 15 digs. Duitsman picked up another 8 for the backline, while the Knights' setter duo, Sidney Loth and Moore, dished out 27 and 14, respectively, to combine for 41 assists. Cathey led the front row effort with 16 kills, while Kirby had a breakout performance with 11, establishing herself as a dominant force in the middle and opening up the outside attack. Duitsman added 9 kills and Heyn finished with 8. From the service line, Cathey totaled 3 aces, while Heyn and Kirby each added 2.

Gilbert Christian advances to face top-seeded rival Valley Christian in the 3A State Semifinals on Thursday at Mountain Pointe High School. First serve is set for 5:00pm. All fans will need a ticket to attend the match (purchase HERE).