Bryan Ross is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication student assigned to cover Mountain View High School for AZPreps365.com.

MESA, Ariz. — Mountain View Athletics saw an athlete close their high school chapter Thursday on the badminton court, while another is only getting started with their legacy on the volleyball court.

Senior Sophie Castleton is the No. 1 varsity player for the Mountain View girls badminton team.

As she prepares for graduation, she also has to prepare for the State Tournament.

This will be the third time she competes for a state title.

Head coach Teresa LaSalle couldn't be any prouder.

“As she heads into her third state championship, I know she'll give it everything she's got — and regardless of the outcome, she's already left a legacy here,” LaSalle said.

Like most girls going to state, Castleton showed why she deserves her spot, as she has an impressive overall record of 25-3, according to AZPreps365.

Her coach attributes her winning record to the fact that “she doesn't let nerves rattle her — she channels that pressure into performance,” LaSalle said. “I've seen her go up against top-ranked players and keep her cool, adjusting her strategy mid-match and staying mentally locked in.”

Looking at the overall record, some may think Castleton's primary role on the team is to add points to the board, but that is far from the truth.

Her experience in the sport has helped bring out the best in the entire team, where her teammates look up to her as a leader and mentor.

She's encouraging, and because of her experience in this sport, she knows how to train them in a way LaSalle might not have, according to junior Megan Boehmer.

“Some of them are so sweet because they're like, how do you do this? And it makes me feel really good because it's something that I've spent a lot of time learning,” Castleton said.

LaSalle recognized how helpful having a player like Castleton is in regards to being a successful coach.

“She's always a mentor for the team because she'll help coach them if she needs to,” LaSalle said. “She's not just our No. 1 varsity player — she's the heartbeat of our team.”

The Mountain View Toros played their last badminton game of the season Thursday afternoon, but Castleton will continue on, playing singles during state.

On the other side of the net, Maja Djordjevich is the only freshman on the girls varsity volleyball team.

Don't let the freshman label deceive you — she is among the top five tallest girls on the roster, standing 6 feet tall.

Although Djordjevich's stature was what got head coach Lee Golden's attention, height is not the only thing she adds to the team.

“She's actually a really, really good blocker,” Golden said.

Golden did not find out how great Djordjevich was at blocking from the start, as she didn't play much at the beginning of the season, according to Golden.

Like in any sport, the freshman has to prove to the coach why they deserve playing time — and Djordjevich did just that.

“There was an opportunity that she was given just to come in and play some defense,” Golden said. “And she went in and the very first point she stuffed blocked.”

From that point on, Golden said she was impressed and looked at her like she was a real contender.

The presumption of being a freshman on a varsity team may have some people believing the athlete will take time to adjust to her new team — but not Djordjevich.

According to Djordjevich, she “was scared at first because a lot of them are taller than you, they're bigger, but after like the first two games I was comfortable with it.”

Being comfortable and confident in her play attests to Golden labeling her as an athlete with a strong work ethic.

“Every opportunity that we've given her, she's taken it full — like full speed, chest up, eyes open — and she's gotten like four or five solo blocks,” Golden said.

This is only the start for Djordjevich, and she, like Castleton, will leave a legacy behind.