aAt the peak of their volleyball season, the Deer Valley Skyhawks are determined to repeat their championship success from last year.
But this time, it's under a new head coach.
The Skyhawks won the title with a stunning victory over undefeated Northwest Christian, returning to the top after a 13-year championship drought. The Crusaders defeated Deer Valley twice in the regular season before the finals.
After the championship, former head coach Eric Palmer left the program to coach Grand Canyon University men's club volleyball.
Stepping into Palmer's shoes is coach Cade McGee, who has a deep passion for volleyball and a strong desire to continue Deer Valley's legacy of success. McGee now takes over a program that hasn't lost since 2015, when it finished with an 8-9 record.
“The past two coaches here have really grown the program,” he said. “I’m trying to follow in their footsteps and build on the way they started and continue that.”
Maggie has a long history with volleyball, playing from high school through college. After he finished his playing career, he began coaching club volleyball.
With McGee at the helm, the program has maintained its winning ways.
The Skyhawks have a 9-4 record and are ranked third in 4A. Despite facing doubts about replicating past success, the team has proven its dominance on the court, with more than half of its wins coming in the form of sweeps.
“We were told this is not our season and it's not going to be good,” he said. “I told them (the players) not to ask that. Let's prove everyone wrong. We're going to prove that we're better than everyone is saying. You can go.”
As a first-time high school head coach, McGee admitted there's been a learning curve, but so far he's “enjoying the process.”
“I've learned what it really means to be in charge of a program, and it's been great,” he said.
The Skyhawks are a relatively young team with only 11 juniors and four seniors, and they place an emphasis on unity and teamwork. McGee emphasizes the importance of camaraderie and resilience on the court.
The example McGee gave is that college and professional volleyball teams often huddle after each point, regardless of the outcome. He has frequently encouraged his team to follow this practice.
“What's really important is to come together, reset all the points and go for the next point,” he said. “Volleyball is a very fast sport, so he's only looking for one point at a time.”
McGee highlighted Cassian Gilbo as a key contributor. The Romanian outside hitter developed into a “great volleyball player” and excelled in his role.
“When he gets a good set, he's pretty unstoppable,” he said.
Meanwhile, at the setter position, Heath McPherson was a solid player for the team, and McGee praised his strong work ethic.
Leading the way in the 4A rankings are No. 1 Northwest Christian and No. 2 AZ College Prep. Northwest Christian swept Deer Valley twice this season. This time, the Crusaders are looking for revenge for last year's championship.
“As long as we stay together and have energy, I think there are very few teams that can stop us,” he said.
With three games left in the regular season, McGee said the team is incorporating more film sessions to analyze and improve its defense, especially its blocking strategy.
The Skyhawks are on the verge of returning to the playoffs, moving one step closer to their goal of winning back-to-back championships.
“Just thinking about that scenario gives me chills,” McGee said. “For your first year as a head coach, just getting to the championship game is really great.”