(GILBERT, Ariz.) The second-seeded Gilbert Christian beach volleyball team powered past No. 7 Trivium Prep in the quarterfinal round of the AIA Division II Beach Volleyball Team Championship Tournament at Gilbert Regional Park on Wednesday afternoon, sweeping all five pairings without dropping a single set.
Despite a slow start across most of the openers, the GCHS Knights showed composure and focus, settling in to take control of each match by the midway point. The No. 4s, freshman
Quinn Ehler and sophomore
Nyleah Ahlman, set the tone early in their match-up, cruising in set one 21-6 before doubling their opponents' score in the second (21-12) to deliver one of the most decisive performances of the day.
The largest margin of victory came from Gilbert Christian's No. 2 tandem, junior
Sienna Cathey and senior
Sidney Loth, who closed out their match with a dominant 21-5 second set after taking the opener 21-18. The No. 3 pairing of freshman
Kendall Jarnagan and sophomore
Shay Loth handled business in straight sets (21-11, 21-8), while sophomores
Liv Johnson and Jordyn Lutz opened the afternoon with a 21-19, 21-16 win at the No. 5 spot.
With the match in hand, it was fitting that the top pair of senior
Alexia Heyn and junior
Lillie Duitsman delivered the final point of the sweep, battling through a tight 23-21 first set before pulling away 21-8 as the sun set over Gilbert Regional Park.
Trivium Prep proved scrappy throughout, pushing points and keeping rallies competitive, but Gilbert Christian's depth and determination ultimately prevailed across all courts.
With the win, the Knights remain unbeaten in 2026 and advance to the state semifinals, where they will face No. 6 Arcadia (5:00 p.m.) on Monday, April 27 at Casteel High School. The match will be held at a neutral site, and fans will need to purchase a ticket via GoFan to attend.
