4A quarterfinals
Skyline 3, Bountiful 0
No. 3 Skyline’s Isa Taylor and Bailey Bennett had dominant performances, with 18 and 17 kills respectively, to lead the team to a convincing 3-0 sweep over defending 5A champion No. 6 Bountiful.
Eagles head coach Mondo Begay is all too familiar with Bountiful, as the two teams played in last year’s 5A championship match as well as the 2023 semis. What could’ve been a scary matchup for Skyline ended up being a clean 25-20, 25-20 and 25-18 quarterfinal victory.
“We really respect Bountiful,” Begay said. “We had to play them in the finals last year and we know Milika Satuala is like a master, she’s so good. What I loved about (the win) was that we just had to stick to our game plan. We did a lot of scouting and then a lot of studying on what we need to do.”
Freshman setter Evangeline Lotulelei stood out in the quarterfinal, dishing out 40 assists. Lotulelei was a player Begay said gave the team an edge throughout Wednesday’s games.
“She’s a freshman, and she’s started understanding matchups and the core of ‘who’s where?’ and ‘what do we need to set?’ and ‘how do we need to set it?’” Begay said.
The Eagles advance to Thursday’s semifinal against Fremont and will fight to reclaim the throne after being beaten by the Redhawks last year.
Pleasant Grove 3, Maple Mountain 0
The day started rocky for No. 5 Pleasant Grove, but it ended on fire, earning a 3-0 win over No. 4 Maple Mountain and advanced to the 5A semifinals.
Pleasant Grove’s first set of the day against Wasatch was shaky. The Vikings still pulled out a 30-28 victory, but they didn’t play up to their normal standards. But once Pleasant Grove got past the state tournament nerves, it was firing on all fronts.
“You have the nerves because this is what they work for all year, and what the seniors work for the whole three or four years,” said Pleasant Grove head coach Isa Takahashi. “It’s big, it means something, and so just getting here is exciting. It’s fun. We’re not going to play perfect and I don’t expect them to play perfect, but I do expect them to play consistently and have that effort.”
The Vikings had a balanced attack with Lexi Brown leading the way with 13 kills. Marli Vaea wasn’t far behind with 12 kills, while Molly Mitchell and Taytum Nelson added nine and eight kills respectfully.
It wasn’t just the kills, but how efficiently Pleasant Grove got them that was key in their win over the Golden Eagles. Vaea hit .550, Mitchell 0.615 and Nelson .700.
While the Vikings won both regular season matchups, both were much closer. The quarterfinal win over their Region 7 rival was by far the most dominant.
“Maple Mountain’s a really, really good team,” Takahashi said. “The way that we were winning was surprising because we went to five with them at the beginning of the year and then we barely won in four, but my girls are ready. It was a surprise that we executed at such a high level, but I’m proud of my kids because they did their job.”
Woods Cross 3, Spanish Fork 0
Woods Cross did exactly what a top-seeded team should in day one of the 5A tournament. It advanced to the 5A semis with clean 3-0 sweeps over Timpview and Spanish Fork.
“I think it was just their ability to stay connected, their ability to stay focused, even when some of the play wasn’t our greatest,” said Woods Cross head coach Nicole Hogan. “I think sometimes it can be tricky keeping them grounded and focused, but I thought our serving picked up as our matches went on, so that was helpful.”
Sitoafa Tausinga led the Wildcats with 14 kills and three aces in the quarterfinal, but she exited the game hobbling and in pain.
“She switched her shoes and I think it’s probably a bruised heel,” Hogan said. “Luckily our trainer’s here to assess it.”
Avery Poulton also played well with 10 kills. It’ll be a big day two of the state tournament for Woods Cross as it searches for its first state championship since 1979.
Fremont 3, West Field 0
No. 2 Fremont had a scary start to its 5A tournament, and nearly ended its postseason run before it could get started. Luckily for the Silverwolves, they managed to best No. 18 Brighton 3-2 to advance to the quarterfinals against West Field.
“I told my husband earlier, ‘I bet we go to five our first game,’ because Brighton is better than what their record shows because their region is so hard and they play them really well,” said Fremont head coach Analaine Mailoto. “I kind of anticipated it. Then the fourth set was just kind of off and weird. Then they were just tough about it and came back and won the fifth set.”
The Silverwolves woke up from there, and managed to sweep the Longhorns 3-0 with set scores of 25-20, 25-12 and 25-17. Olivia Surrage and Kylee Harper led the way with 11 kills each. Mia McArthur was also a weapon with three aces.
Overall, it was just a much-needed clean quarterfinal win after a scary opening to the day for Fremont.
“We talk about what we know,” Mailoto said of the message after the Brighton game. “‘What do we know about this team? What do we know about us? Let’s capitalize on what we know about us and use what we know about the other team. Be level, be steady and mentally mature and then go from there.”
5A second round
Woods Cross 3, Timpview 0
Top-seeded Woods Cross dispatched No. 16 Timpview in straight sets, advancing to the 5A quarterfinals with a 3-0 victory. The Wildcats showcased their offensive efficiency, hitting .478 as a team. Avery Poulton spearheaded the attack with 17 kills and a .533 hitting percentage, while Brylee Howard and Sitoafa Tausinga added to the onslaught with two aces each. Timpview struggled to keep pace, falling 25-14, 25-10, 25-8 in succession.
Spanish Fork 3, West Jordan 0
No. 9 Spanish Fork’s Eva Prior and Katelyn Ralph led their team to a decisive 3-0 victory over No. 8 West Jordan in the 5A second round. The Dons started strong, taking the first two sets 25-17 and 25-14 before sealing the sweep with a 26-24 win in the third set.
Maple Mountain 3, Olympus 0
In a dominant display, the No. 4 Maple Mountain Golden Eagles swept the No. 20 Olympus Titans 3-0 in the 5A second round. Karli Smith led the charge with 14 kills and 10 digs, while libero Aliyah Marks anchored the defense with 22 digs. Mikayla Esquivel added eight kills and five blocks to bolster the Golden Eagles’ front line. The Titans struggled to contain Maple Mountain’s offensive power, falling 25-19, 25-14, and 25-21 respectively in the three sets.
Pleasant Grove 3, Wasatch 0
No. 5 Pleasant Grove beat No. 12 Wasatch with a straight-set victory, 30-28, 25-18 and 25-17, to advance to the 5A quarterfinals. The Vikings showcased a balanced attack led by Lexi Brown’s 12 kills, while Addie Beck contributed 10 kills and four aces. Marli Vaea and Taytum Nelson each added nine kills, with Nelson hitting .471. Setter Marley McCandless was instrumental in orchestrating the offense, dishing out 45 assists as Pleasant Grove sealed the win.
Fremont 3, Brighton 2
Olivia Surrage delivered 18 kills to lead No. 2 Fremont to a thrilling five-set victory over No. 18 Brighton in the 5A second round. Kylee Harper contributed 16 kills while Brooklyn Smedley added five aces for the Silverwolves, who emerged victorious in the decisive fifth set 15-9. After dropping the first set 25-21, Fremont rallied to win the next two sets 25-19 each. Brighton forced the fifth set by taking the fourth 25-16, but Fremont’s strong final performance solidified their place in the next round.
West Field 3, West 0
No. 10 West Field overpowered No. 7 West in a decisive 3-0 victory during the 5A second round. Ainsley Schiffman and Kalli Bremser led the Longhorns with nine kills each, contributing to the strong performance over the Panthers. Aliyah Mann added pressure with three aces, while Bella Alverson fortified West Field’s defense with three blocks. The Longhorns controlled the match with set scores of 25-23, 25-11, and 25-20, advancing in the playoff competition as the Panthers struggled to keep pace.
Skyline 3, Alta 0
No. 3 Skyline swept No. 19 Alta in straight sets, winning the 5A second-round matchup 3-0. They put on a dominant performance, both offensively and defensively. Bailey Bennett led the Eagles with 11 kills, closely followed by Isa Taylor with 10. Norah Pearce hit .533 with nine kills. Eva Lotulelei orchestrated the offense effectively for Skyline, tallying 40 assists. The Eagles won decisively with set scores of 25-15, 25-19, and 25-14.
Bountiful 3, Northridge 2
No. 6 Bountiful rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat No. 11 Northridge 3-2 in a thrilling 5A playoff matchup. Milika Satuala led the Redhawks with an impressive 28 kills, while Paisley Gosney added 16 kills to fuel the comeback. After dropping the first two sets 25-14 and 25-19, Bountiful surged back to claim the next two 25-21, forcing a decisive fifth set. McKinley Duryea contributed four aces and Isabella Beck added four blocks as the Redhawks clinched the final set 15-6. The matchup featured Bountiful head coach Kelsie White and her younger sister, Northridge coach Kait Hyde.