OREM — It wasn't just a battle for fifth place in the 4A state volleyball tournament for the Mountain View Bruins and Lehi Pioneers, it was the final battle in the war for Region 7 supremacy when the two teams met in the fifth-place match at the tournament on Saturday.
And it was the Bruins who came out of the match with the region bragging rights along with the fifth-place trophy when they topped Lehi 25-20, 25-23, 25-23.
"We said this was the real tiebreaker to see who is the real region champs because we shared the title in the regular season," said Mountain View coach Andrew Young, who noted that he was especially happy with the three-game win this time because both of the other matches between the two rivals went five. They split the regular-season series and shared the Region 7 championship.
Young and his team were thrilled with their fifth-place finish in the tournament and hope to only get better in the coming years.
"We lost to a tough team in the second round. I think it showed the girls' maturity and character when they came back today and brought their 'A' game," said Young about the team's victories Saturday over Sky View and Lehi after a tough defeat to Dixie on Friday.
The Bruins had 40 kills in only three games, 26 assists, 59 digs and 13 blocks in an all-around team effort against the Pioneers.
Chelsey Schofield led the way with 16 kills, including the match-winner, 16 digs and three blocks. Setter Heather Glassford finished with 25 assists, 10 digs and five kills. Rachel Steele had seven kills and 15 digs, and Haley Hawkes had four kills as the team played with enjoyment all the way through.
The Pioneers were also led by a balanced team effort, all set up by the amazing, scrappy defensive play of libero Aly White. She dished up solid passes off good kill attempts and set up setter Madison Greenwood, who then got the ball to the solid hitting corps of Mikayla Dunford, Miranda Parkinson and Brielle Bailey, who all played well.
The Pioneers finished with seventh place in the state tournament.
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