NM, Rehobos

The Tuba City Volleyball Team came away from the Alexandra Diamond Volleyball Tournament, featuring 20 teams, with significant achievements.

On Saturday night, they clinched the gold bracket title at the Rehobos Christian Volleyball Tournament, winning in four sets against Tohatchi. Individually, five players from Tuba City were recognized, and sophomore outside hitter Vanisha Bitsinnie was honored as the tournament MVP.

“Honestly, I was surprised to receive this award. I really didn’t expect it, but I just focused on doing my best and chasing the ball,” Bitsinnie expressed, noting how emotional the moment was for her. “When I found out I was MVP, it really hit me because I gave everything on the court.”

The Tuba City tournament squad also included senior Talia Kritoso, freshman Yasmin Ataya, sophomore Oraiya Granger, and Nakota Tallman.

These players played a key role in securing the championship with a score of 24-26, 25-22, 25-19, and 25-21.

“Tohatchi played really well,” coach Kristen Balcerek remarked. “They were determined, didn’t let the ball hit the ground, and hustled hard. We appreciated their effort, especially during the first set.”

In that opening set, Tohatchi managed to turn things around, overcoming a 17-7 deficit to win 26-24, catching Tuba City’s players off guard. The early part of the match saw Tuba City controlling play, including 10 early kills—two of which came from Bitsinnie.

As the match progressed, Tohatchi found its rhythm and displayed strong defensive play.

“We were a bit nervous and stiff at first,” Tohatch coach Jonas Guy admitted. “But once we got a handle on our passes, we could exploit our front line.”

“Our middle hitters, Haley (Grey Mountain) and Bobby (Yatsy), were crucial—they helped us regain momentum once the ball got to our setter,” he added, referring to their strategy of taking things point by point.

During the second set, Tuba jumped out to an 11-5 lead, thanks to three kills from Nakota Tallman, but Tohatchi quickly answered back, managing a 15-9 run with a big hit from Grey Mountain.

Nevertheless, the Warriors finished the set strong with a 5-2 run, led by Ataya, who had three of nine critical kills during that stretch.

In the third set, Tohatchi took a 5-0 lead early, bolstered by four service aces, prompting a Tuba City timeout at 14-10.

The Warriors then rallied back, tying the game at 16, largely due to multiple hits from Bitsinnie. With the momentum on their side, they went on a 9-3 run to clinch the set 25-19.

Carrying that energy into the fourth set, Tuba City raced to a 7-0 lead as Tohatchi struggled with serve reception.

“They really put together a big run against us with tough serves,” Guy noted about Tuba’s play. “They’re fundamentally strong, especially with their serves, so we had to get our serve reception sorted out.”

Eventually, the Cougars did manage to tie the game at 8-8. Despite Tuba leading throughout that set, Tohatchi was close behind and made one last effort to tie it again at 20.

Ultimately, Tuba City finished strong, closing the match with a 5-1 run to win in four sets.

“We just focused on being mentally tough during the long rallies,” coach Balcerek reflected on their victory.

Tuba City had two players rack up double-digit kills, with Kritoso leading with 16 and Bitsinnie contributing 10. Ataya also made an impact with nine kills.

For Tohatchi, Grey Mountain led with 13 kills, while Destiny Jackson added seven.

Despite the loss, Coach Guy expressed pride in his team’s determination. “It was a valuable experience for us. We understood Tuba’s program and history in Arizona. They played at a quicker pace, which was enlightening for us. I’m proud the girls managed to win one set and led in each of them, despite a few errors—we’ll need to address those moving forward.”