High school volleyball Tuesday highlights: Pleasant Grove takes down No. 1 Lone Peak, Bingham earns big Region 2 win
Bingham 3, Mountain Ridge 1
In the Region 2 opener, the Bingham Miners (10-1) showcased their tenacity by rallying from an early deficit to defeat the Mountain Ridge Sentinels (14-7), 19-25, 25-13, 25-12 and 25-14. Bingham’s strong team performance and determined comeback proved decisive in the match, while the Sentinels couldn’t maintain their initial lead.
“I thought we served well in sets 2, 3 and 4. It set up our block and defense a lot better and allowed us to score in transition. The girls did a great job adapting our game plan after the first set,” said Bingham coach Reed Carlson.
“Mountain Ridge has some great athletes and unless you can get two blocks up against them and diggers in the right place, they will score with ease. All in all it was a good match for us to learn how to change strategy quickly.”
Pleasant Grove 3, Lone Peak 1
In a Region 3 showdown between fierce rivals, the Pleasant Grove Vikings (11-3) emerged victorious over the Lone Peak Knights (6-1) in a four-game battle, 27-29, 25-18, 25-18 and 25-21.
Addisyn Beck and Hannah Olsen each finished with 11 kills, while Avrie Valgardson’s 31 assists played a pivotal role in creating scoring opportunities. The defensive duo of Taytum Nelson and Lauren Waters combined for 10 blocks, ultimately securing the win for the Vikings, who displayed solid passing throughout the match with a 2.0 pass rating.
“We served well and made them play out of system. We executed on our blocking and defense and converted when we had a good first touch,” said Pleasant Grove coach Isa Takahashi.
Maple Mountain 3, Salem Hills 1
In a Region 7 matchup, the Maple Mountain Golden Eagles (5-2) triumphed over the Salem Hills Skyhawks (7-5) with a 3-1 win. Maple Mountain secured the victory with scores of 25-14, 21-25, 25-14 and 25-14 to improve to 3-0 region, while Salem Hills fell to 2-1.
Maple Mountain delivered a season-high 17 aces, including nine in the first set. After a slow start in blocking, it managed seven blocks in the final two sets. Rachel Workman contributed eight kills, Emma Bailey added 12, and Marly Pratt had 10.
Morgan Pratt shone with 14 digs, three aces, five kills and 37 assists, while libero Coco Denison recorded 15 digs.
“Salem Hills is always a competitive program, especially at home. It’s nice to be able to play a high level of volleyball, even on the road. Our girls did a tremendous job from the service line. Getting them out of system was key for us. We started figuring out some blocking stuff as the game went on which helped us with a big win on the road against a good Salem Hills team,” said Maple Mountain coach Adam Longmore.
Desert Hills 3, Snow Canyon 0
In an important early-season Region 9 showdown, the Desert Hills Thunder (13-3) asserted themselves early with a convincing victory over the Snow Canyon Warriors (8-4). The Thunder secured a straight-set win with scores of 25-18, 29-27 and 25-17.
Both teams were 3-0 in Region 9 entering the game.
Hallee Crandall led the Thunder with an impressive performance, contributing four aces and three kills. Lauren Larkin showcased her skills with 10 kills, while Trinity Pilimai and Taylor Graff added nine kills each.
Tatum Gardner orchestrated the Thunder’s offense, tallying 29 assists along with two aces. The Thunder’s collective effort also saw them notch nine aces in the match.
“I thought we fought really hard. Snow canyon played really hard and put us in some tough situations. I felt our kids responded well, battled some adversity in a tough environment and were able to come away with a very competitive win. The 2nd set especially could have gone either way and I am proud of our focus at the end to pull it out,” said Desert Hills coach Craig Allred.
Manti 3, Carbon 0
Manti secured a commanding victory over Carbon in a Region 12 match, marking a significant turnaround for the Templars (11-9). They handed the Dinos (10-2) their first region loss of the season, winning in straight sets with scores of 25-20, 25-20, 25-17.
Rae Chase led Manti with 12 kills and three aces to go along with her 14 digs. June Olsen chiped with with nine kills and 14 digs.
“Everyone did their job on the court tonight and had a fun time doing it. Each girl fought hard for every point and never let up. They really showed what they are capable of tonight,” said Manti coach Aaron Smith. “Mara Thompson spread the ball out well among our hitters which really opened up the court for Rae and June to finish with kill after kill.”
Cadee Alder played a key role defensive as well with her 19 digs, with Mara Thompson leading the attack with 29 assists.
