HIGHLAND — A perennial fixture in the state championship game, the Dixie Flyers still managed to somehow fall off the radar screen in 4A volleyball this season.
Perhaps it was the graduation of five players, or maybe it was the change in the coaching staff, but whatever the reason, the Flyers are hoping to fly low and catch people by surprise for just as long as they can this season.
It's not going to be long before many teams stand up and take notice of this scrappy Flyers' team, however, if they keep playing the way they have so far in the fourth annual Asics Rocky Mountain Champions Classic at Lone Peak High School.
The gathering of many of the top teams from Utah and Idaho is usually a good indicator of which teams are going to make noise as the season rolls along. And if that holds true for the unheralded Dixie squad, they're going to do at least the usual amount of damage.
"I think since we have a new coach, they're underestimating us. We're also not as tall as usual, so they don't think we're going to be as good," said new assistant coach Amanda Misa, whose father Pule Misa took over the helm this year for the team from the South.
The Flyers came into the tournament full of top teams and had to take on last year's 5A state champion Pleasant Grove Vikings right off the bat. Not only did they hold their own against the tough Vikings, Dixie made real noise by defeating that team 25-20, 20-25, 15-9 and used the momentum to take out Layton 25-21, 25-16 and Hunter 25-17, 25-14 to win their pool with a 3-0 record over three 5A teams.
"We just try not to dwell on our mistakes and work one point at a time. This group of girls works together well on the court. They motivate each other," said Misa, who's hoping to go out and prove the critics wrong this year.
She's counting heavily on a tough sophomore in Hannah Harrah, who picked up 23 kills in the tournament, including nine against the Vikings and eight against the Wolverines.
"She's only a sophomore. We're excited for her for the next three years. She's improved so much since she played junior varsity as a freshman," said Misa about her up-and-coming star.
Ashley Porter also picked up double-digit kills, as did Kaylie Jensen for the Flyers in the pool play on Friday.
The three victories leave the Flyers in the top bracket on Saturday to face the top teams from pool play on Friday night before the championship rounds begin Saturday afternoon.
The Flyers will be joined by Lone Peak, which also garnered a top seed in the Friday pool play with victories over Century (Idaho), Richfield and Taylorsville. Lone Peak made a comeback in its own tournament this year by winning its pool after falling out of the top brackets last year and having to go down into the bronze/copper rounds, held at Lehi High School.
Lehi and Snow Canyon also won their pools and will join the Knights and Flyers as the top two seeds in their new upper bracket pools on Saturday.
e-mail: jolsen@desnews.com