AMERICAN FORK — The American Fork volleyball team is doing its best to serve notice to the rest of the state that it is a program in which to be reckoned. And it took a nice step toward that goal with a 25-23, 25-14, 25-20 victory over Provo on Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs are a perennial power on the volleyball court, but this season will see them in rebuilding mode as their top two players for several seasons graduated last year, leaving Provo a little short in both the leadership department and the height department.
American Fork also lost one of the top players in the state at the end of last season, but the Cavemen don't seem to have lost a step in handing over the hitting reins to a real team effort. Tatum Porter led the Cavemen with 11 kills and two blocks in the match, but sophomore Makenzie Moea'i added six kills of her own. Jamie Goulding added to the numbers with a pair of kills and a pair of blocks.
Both teams showed some early-season jitters with some inconsistency but when it came down to closing out games the Cavemen appeared confident, while the Bulldogs were flustered.
"I think for the first match, the first home game on the first day of school, yeah we did a good job. We had some good moments of rallying," said first-year American Fork coach Dannette Moea'i.
And her team didn't merely rely on its powerful offense, though the arms were rather impressive. But the Cavemen also showed up defensively behind 30 digs behind libero Brooke Miller and 31 assists by setter Rae Mulitalo.
"It was really nice to have that first win. We still have a lot to do, but overall we're meshing well. We forced them to earn points instead of giving them away," added Moea'i, who was thrilled with the way the team took charge through much of the match.
Game 1 was tight with 10 ties, but the Cavemen finally took over after a deadlock at 22. Porter finished things off with a kill on the second game-point. Game 2 was all American Fork as the Cavemen overwhelmed the mostly inexperienced Provo squad after a 5-5 tie. Provo took the first point in the third game but never took the lead again.
The Bulldogs only managed 13 kills in the entire match compared to 24 by the Cavemen. Amber Zibetti led Provo with six kills but the rest of the team had a tough time when it came to putting the ball away.
"As a team we're well rounded, this is a great team win," said Moea'i, who noted that her squad is now 9-2, including tournament matches this season.
E-mail: jolsen@desnews.com