One last ride: Ironwood Ridge volleyball standout looks to end high school career on a high note

The Ironwood Ridge head volleyball coach knew Quiri from the club circuit. He had watched the Salpointe underclassmen develop her talents, preparing his teams to face a player he knew could cause serious trouble every time she stepped on the court.

Entering Quiri’s junior season, Lang received a call that shook up his world and, subsequently, the volleyball landscape in southern Arizona.

Quiri transferred from Salpointe to Ironwood Ridge with two years left of high school eligibility. Now as a senior, Quiri has one final year to help the Nighthawks accomplish something neither she nor Lang has been able to do: win a state championship.

“She was always somebody on my list of players to watch to prepare for when our team played against her,” Lang said. “All of a sudden, she’s at Ironwood Ridge… If there was someone I had to pick in Southern Arizona that I’d want on my team, it was Ashlyn.”

Quiri, a 6-foot-2 senior with well over 1,000 kills across the first three years of her career, has already reached the state semifinals in each of her varsity seasons. Both of her seasons at Salpointe, as well as last year’s state semifinal at home against ALA - Queen Creek, have all resulted in a loss.

Lang has come just as close to a state title as Quiri has across his 25 years in the job at Ironwood Ridge. Both are determined to make 2026’s result different. Quiri is set to depart for Florida State University after graduating early in December. She’s got her heart set on senior year being one last opportunity, not a farewell tour.

“I’m very grateful for the spot I’ve been put in,” she said. “I’m all in on Ironwood, so hopefully we can take a state championship this year and end my senior season on a high note.”

Quiri began playing volleyball in middle school after playing a slew of sports as a child. She started club volleyball as a seventh grader, before her family made the ambitious move to place their daughter in a club in Phoenix, with each family member rotating turns to drive up for practice three days a week.

The Quiri family is no stranger to moving a son or daughter to a different school or a different city for a better athletic experience. Ashlyn’s older brother moved from Pusch Ridge Christian to Salpointe for a more competitive football career. When her parents realized her potential, they urged their daughter to go all in on the commitment to a better club in a different city.

That stance of flexibility became even stronger when Quiri’s recruiting window opened after her sophomore year at Salpointe, her second straight season with 270 kills or more. After just three days of talking with schools, Quiri committed to Florida State, a school already high on her radar.

Following her commitment, Quiri learned that Salpointe held a firm stance on no early graduation, which would prevent her from joining the team in the spring to build chemistry with her teammates ahead of her freshman year in fall 2026.

“My freshman and sophomore years at Salpointe were great; I have nothing but great things to say about my time there,” Quiri said. “But due to my situation, I was forced to switch schools. I had to make the decision that was best for me, so I came here.”

On the court in her first year for the Nighthawks, Quiri flourished. She had 532 kills, nearly the same number of kills she racked up in her freshman and sophomore years combined. She was a 4A All-Conference First Team selection, 4A Kino Region Offensive Player of the Year, and was named to the 2026 AVCA High School All-American Watch List ahead of her senior season.

The Nighthawks also thrived with Quiri as a driving force. Ironwood Ridge was the lone Southern Arizona team to beat Salpointe by a score of 3-2. Quiri led all players in kills with 23 in a highly personal rematch.

The adjustment to Ironwood Ridge was a bit of a challenge for Quiri, though. Lang runs a year-round program with lifting, training, fundraising, youth clinics, tournaments and national travel. The head coach expects his players to demonstrate accountability and maturity in representing the program away from school.

“I’m old school,” Lang chuckled. “We can be a little bit different with the way we run our program. New players take some time to adjust to how we do things and sometimes that’s good, and sometimes it’s bad.”

Quiri’s competitiveness required her to adjust to the program’s demands, but over time, she had fully embraced her role within the system. Now, entering her senior year, Lang wants Quiri to embrace her competitive personality rather than suppress it.

“I told her, ‘It’s not last year. You have the green light as long as you hold yourself to the same standard you hold your teammates, go for it,’” Lang said.

Outside of volleyball, Quiri holds a 3.6 GPA, enjoys her economics class, and while she is primarily interested in her sport, she also loves the travel aspect that comes with it. By playing with her Phoenix club team, Quiri has traveled to Germany, Croatia and Italy, as well as across the United States.

However, in her last semester at Ironwood Ridge, all Quiri wants to do is win.

“I think we’ve all really bought in as a team this year,” she said. “I think we are very close to each other and cohesive as a unit this year.”

For Lang, this season represents another chance to get the program over a barrier that has stood for years. For Quiri, it's the final chapter of her Arizona high school career.

“I told Ashlyn if she does everything I'm asking, I'm going to do everything she asks,” Lang said.

Soon enough, she'll be asking from Tallahassee. But for now, Quiri and Lang have one more season and one more chance to finish what they've started.

Fast Five with Ashlyn

Which volleyball player — collegiate/Olympic/professional would you love to play with?

Olivia Babcock. She goes to Pitt, so I will play against her in the ACC if she takes a fifth year. I just think she's a really good athlete, and I just like love watching her play and she's very hype and brings that energy to the court.

What’s your dream brand deal or sponsorship?

Lululemon, Calvin Klein or Red Bull

On a road trip, what’s your go-to gas station selection for a drink, snack and candy?

Yellow or orange Gatorade, salt and vinegar chips and Starburst or something chewy.

What are three must-have items in your gym bag?

Biofreeze, my knee pads and my lucky hair tie.

What’s on your pregame playlist?

I have a big game day playlist, but right now it’s mostly been Drake and Rihanna; those are the two that I really like right now.