Peaking Cibola takes care of Yuma

 The Yuma High-Cibola volleyball match Monday didn't have regular-season region title implications on the line.

 The Criminals most likely will host Saturday's 5A Gila Valley Region tournament.

 But Cibola, which lost its previous two matches to Yuma, managed to avoid the season sweep with a 25-14, 25-20 and 25-21 victory at Raider Gym.

 "Little by little this team has worked together, gotten to know each other," Cibola coach Vivian Klee said. "At the beginning of the season we struggled with trying to trust each other out on the court. And we're just coming into our own right now."

 Maya Van Iwaarden and Katy Davidson led the Raiders (9-7, 9-2 Gila Valley) with eight kills apiece, and Myliah Ramirez and Marianna Curtis added seven kills each.

 Magaly Gallegos paced the Criminals (14-3, 9-2 Gila Valley) with five kills, while Christine Barry added four.

 Cibola rarely trailed in any of the three games. The Criminals never led by more than two points in a game the entire match.

 "Being the third time playing against us, I think (Cibola) really didn't want to go down losing three times to the same team," Yuma coach Manny Garcia said. "It was one of those things where they simply put all their energy together and that's to be expected."

 Van Iwaarden had three consecutive kills, and Curtis added an ace during a 7-0 run as the Raiders dominated Game 1.

 Cibola held off Yuma for much of Game 2, but a Raider passing error enabled the Crims to take a 17-16 edge. And back-to-back kills by Yuma's Victoria Barry knotted the score at 20.

 Ramirez's crosscourt kill finished off a 5-0 spurt to give Cibola a 14-9 lead in Game 3.  Yuma never led the rest of the way, but caught Cibola on three occasions, with the last tie being at 18.