ORO VALLEY, AZ - Ironwood Ridge Volleyball recently updated and released the team's 2026 schedule, featuring eight home matches at the Nighthawk Volleyball Arena, and seven matches against five AIA 5A and 4A State Tournament teams.

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In 2024, the Nighthawks returned to the AIA 4A Conference for the first time since 2006. This season, Ironwood Ridge Volleyball returns to the Kino Region, which includes all seven Southern Arizona 4A schools for the new two-year scheduling block.  Regional competition requires each team to play a home-and-away series against every opponent, resulting in 12 region matches this season.  With most of the schedule dedicated to region play, the Nighthawks have room for only five non-region matches that can help build a postseason resume for the power ranking and seeding.  The limited opportunities made scheduling challenging for opportunities to face some of Arizona's top programs this season.

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The schedule includes several highly anticipated matchups, beginning with the renewal of Ironwood Ridge's series with 5A Notre Dame Prep on August 27 in Scottsdale. The Nighthawks will then make a return trip to 6A Gilbert High School on September 2. The Tigers eliminated Ironwood Ridge in the 2021 State Tournament before moving to the 6A Conference, making this the first meeting between the two programs since the Nighthawks moved to 4A.  Ironwood Ridge will then host a rematch with 4A American Leadership Academy of Queen Creek on September 30. The Patriots ended the Nighthawks' 2025 season with a five-set victory in last year's AIA 4A State Semifinals before advancing to the State Championship.

Ironwood Ridge will also begin a home-and-away series with 4A Flagstaff High School, providing a mid-season test against one of the state's consistently successful 4A programs.  The schools last met in regulation during the 2012 Division II State Semifinals, when Flagstaff upset the Nighthawks before going on to capture the State Championship. In recent seasons, the Eagles have consistently been among the top four seeds in the 4A State Tournament.  The matchup also brings together two of Arizona's longest-tenured head coaches and will provide Ironwood Ridge with an early opportunity to test itself against one of the state's top 4A programs. 

The non-region schedule concludes with a District rivalry against 5A Canyon del Oro High School on October 22 at the Nighthawk Volleyball Arena. The match will mark only the second meeting between the two programs since they moved into different conferences.  Ironwood Ridge won the previous meeting, 3-0, in 2020 and owns a 19-4 all-time record in the series.

 

Continuing their tradition of competing nationally, the Nighthawks are set to participate in two of the nation's top high school invitationals this season, along with a competitive in-state invitational. Ironwood Ridge is scheduled to compete at the House of Payne Invitational (Chandler, September 4-5), the Durango Fall Classic (Las Vegas, September 18-19), and the Southern California Invitational (San Diego, October 9-10).

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The Nighthawks will celebrate the 25th Anniversary when they host Walden Grove High School for Alumni Night on September 16, and will wrap up the regular season on the road against 4A rival Mica Mountain High School on Thursday, October 29.

 

Please visit 2026 Schedule for more information on the dates and results of the matches.

 

The complete 2026 regulation schedule is also available at azpreps365.com.

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