Casteel High hosted the first sanctioned beach volleyball pairs high school championship for boys. 

But for some it wasn’t uncharted territory. 

The finalists, coaches and their families knew each other extremely well. The reunion they hoped for materialized Wednesday. 

No. 1 vs. No. 2. 

Top-seeded Max Ashby and Matix Williams of Mesa Mountain View and second-seeded Colten and Gavin Mortensen of Williams Field were each undefeated heading into the Division I pairs final. It remained that way for the Mortensen brothers after a 21-19, 21-18 championship victory. 

Believe it or not, Williams and Colten are offseason teammates, and Williams’ uncle, Brian Brinkerhoff, is Williams Field's assistant coach. Colten and Williams took gold at a NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation) U-18 qualifier in the Dominican Republic in July.  

There’s more. 

Brinkerhoff also matched wits with one of his five sisters who played college volleyball, Tara, Mountain View’s assistant coach.

With so much talent and expertise on the sand, a close battle was expected between the top seeds. Each team made their mini runs, but the outcome wasn’t decided until the final points of each set.

Williams Field encountered some serve receive difficulties at the start the Game 2 in the semifinals. So, in the final, Williams Field had the option to serve instead of receive to begin the second game and did just that successfully, jumping out to the biggest lead of the match, 5-0. But, after switching sides, the athletic Ashby and Williams initiated a 7-2 run to get back in the game.

However, Williams Field opened another Game 2 lead, 16-12, punctuated by a Colten block. Defensively, the Mortensen brothers were quite aware that Williams, a Player of the Year Beach candidate, loves to go over on two with that strong arm swing of his. 

But Williams Field, for the most part, was prepared for the risk-taking Williams, who kept defenses guessing with his high-jumping jump sets and lefty swing. The Mortensens were clinging to a 18-17 lead after hitting the ball out of bounds. 

But a Gavin kill off the block and a net violation and hitting error by Mountain View ended the match. 

Game 1 was tied 19-19, when Gavin and Colten came through in the clutch. Colten went line for a kill and Williams Field’s 20th point, which was followed by a Gavin kill to close the game. 

Gavin helped set up the final point of the first game after digging a Williams kill attempt.         

“(It’s special) that I was able to play with my brother in his final year of high school and were able to have an undefeated season,” said Gavin, a sophomore. “It was a really cool experience.”

The Arizona Interscholastic Association is the only state association that has sanctioned boys beach volleyball so far. 

So that makes the Mortensens the first duo to win an official high school pairs championship in the country. 

“I’m super glad that beach volleyball is becoming a guy sport,” Colton said. "I’m super grateful to have played it this year during an official year. It is super special.”

The championship also marked the final high school sand match for Williams, who for the past four years helped Mountain View establish its beach program for boys along with head coach William Steyskal.

"It’s been a really super long journey for me and Max (Ashby) and the whole Mountain View team in general,” Williams said. "This is our fourth year with the program, and, with this being the first official year of the sport, to fight through and (make it to the final) is great.” 

Ashby, a junior, is just scratching the surface, but he and Gavin are two of the next future stars in Arizona boys beach volleyball.

Watching Williams’ final high school beach match were his grandparents, mom, Cari, and dad, Cory. 

Cari and Tara helped Westwood High win an indoor volleyball championship in 1994. Cory and Williams Field assistant coach Brian Brinkerhoff won a doubles tournament during their playing days.    

"That was way harder than I thought it would be, coaching against Matix, because I really want him to win too. I really didn’t think it would be this hard,” said Brian about seeing his nephew and sister on the opposite side.

Williams Field wound up being No. 1 in pairs in the inaugural beach volleyball season. (Jose Garcia photo/AZPreps365).