PROVO — After dropping a heartbreaking 3-2 match with Corner Canyon Tuesday, the Thunderbirds turned the tables to defeat Skyridge Thursday night 25-23, 25-22, 19-25, 25-11.
Timpview head coach Kristen Bailey challenged her team after the Thunderbirds dropped the third set.
"I asked them, 'Hey, are we going to have a repeat of our last match or are we going take it in four?" Bailey said. "We then came out and took the momentum back."
Timpview was led by Selai Damuni and Jensyn Turner who had 16 and 12 kills respectively. Lani Neves and Lila Tela each had three aces. Tela also added 12 digs.
The match featured some high-quality volleyball and rallies especially in the first two sets which came down to the wire but Timpview showed its composure to win.
But Skyridge showed some mettle of its own in the third set trailing 18-16 and then rallying to score eight straight points led by the serving of Brinley Watkins. Timpview scored one more point before the Falcons put it away.
The fourth set was all Timpview as Damuni and Turner led the attack and Skyridge couldn't muster a consistent attack.
Skyridge head coach Deanna Meyer felt there were both good and bad aspects of her team's play.
"I thought we played real well at the net, but we had too many service errors."
The Falcons did have 15 service errors on the night but Mikayla Upham was good on the attack with 14 kills.
With the win, Timpview moves to 5-3 in league play while Skyridge drops to 6-2.
Notes: On Tuesday Skyridge defeated Orem in four sets. But the more important aspect of the night was the charitable cause to fight breast cancer. Fans made donations for each dig the two teams combined to have 75 digs. All told, nearly $1,500 was raised.
Brian Preece is a freelance prep sportswriter. He was also the head wrestling coach at Provo High School from 1994-2006 and in 2006 was named as the Utah Wrestling Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.