The Corona del Sol Aztecs beat the Arcadia Titans in beach volleyball on Monday.  Corona Del Sol was hosting Arcadia on their home court at Tempe's Kiwanis Park.

This was the first game for both teams after a week off for spring break.  Both coaches were curious to see how the athletes would perform after the hiatus.

The Aztecs won the first game by the score of 21-12.  The Aztecs showed great passing ability and quick reactions.  Hitting at the net was the key to victory for the Aztecs, rifling shots with great timing.  Both Aztecs players were serving well and placing the ball in spots on the sand that Arcadia just could not reach. 

Arcadia was no easy foe for Corona del sol.  The Titans were getting touches on the ball and playing good defense.  Some of their touches were just in the wrong direction and this led to an offense that could not find its footing.  The Titans continued to fight until the end of the game and mounted a small run before the end of Game 1.  This momentum helped them in the next game.

Arcadia kept up the pressure at the beginning of the second game.  Collecting a couple quick points and serving well.  Then Corona del Sol came alive and started to break away from the Titans.  Some strong defense with athletes hustling to get to every ball and clever offense with small taps at the net helped the Aztecs swing momentum. 

The second game ended with the Aztecs winning 21-16 and preventing a third to decide the match.  Both teams played well and gave a great effort.  Corona del Sol was just able to put the ball were the defenders were not, and some nice strong hits helped them to earn a win against Arcadia. 

Corona del Sol has been having a good season with this win bringing its record above .500 at 3-2.  They almost collected the second sweep in a row with 4-1 counting the score for all teams competing for both of their respective schools. 

Ben Maxfield is the coach for the Corona del sol Aztecs.  Ben is a quiet coach that watches from the back of the court.  He prefers to let his athletes solve the problems of the court by themselves.   He thought the players performed well after the break.  He has set some high hopes for his team and he believes they can achieve them.

 “We have been having a good year despite some injuries that have held us back,” said Maxfield.  “If we work hard we can be the second-best team in the state.”

Jackie Bunker is in her first year of coaching the Titans beach volleyball team.  Arcadia hopes her winning tradition from gym volleyball, which she coached the last couple years, can transition to the sand.  She is a very accomplished coach and hopes to turn the team into a winning one.

“Our team played well today,” said Bunker.  “If we continue this we can win games in the future.”

The beach volleyball games are held at different locations around the city and you can check AZpreps365.com for scheduling information.