Woods Cross was in danger in this year’s 5A championship match with Skyline, and there couldn’t have been more on the line. The Wildcats were dominant all season and lost only eight sets all season prior to the state title match. A win would mean an end to a 46-year championship drought.
It won the first two sets cleanly, and it looked like it was going to be a quick 3-0 championship match. However, Woods Cross’ resilience was tested after Skyline forced a fifth set after two close set wins.
It wasn’t just an end to the drought that the Wildcats were fighting for, but redemption from back-to-back semifinal losses to eventual state champions in the previous two seasons.
They weren’t willing to finally get this close after so many years only to fall flat at the final moment.
The pressure of having the best team in school history, redeeming two semifinal losses and having to avoid a reverse sweep noticeably didn’t seem to affect a particular Woods Cross player: star outside hitter Avery Poulton.
Virtually every athlete has been told that they just need to stay calm and focus in high-pressure situations, but that’s more often easier said than done.
Well, that is, unless you’re Poulton.
She certainly has a “clutch gene,” though hers stems from her uncanny ability to shrug off nerves in these types of situations. That’s how she was able to help finish off Skyline in the final set, 15-7, and ended the championship match with 24 kills and 16 digs.
Poulton’s high volume of production, combined with her ability to keep calm, is what led her to be named the 2025 Deseret News Ms. Volleyball recipient.
“Staying calm is something I’ve had to develop, but I also feel like I’ve always just had that sense of calm and easiness,” Poulton said. “I feel like it doesn’t help you if you focus on past mistakes. I’ve definitely had times where I’ve gotten blocked in situations that I probably shouldn’t have been, or I’ve gone through other hard situations, and they helped me learn and grow to know that I just need to stay calm and do my thing.”
Poulton’s most lethal weapon is certainly her hitting. She had the third-highest hitting percentage in the state at .429, and she did so on 411 kills.
Woods Cross always had Poulton or Sitoafa Tausinga on the front row, which made for what was arguably the most lethal hitting duo in the state.
The reason it’s able to work so well is because Poulton can do much more than just swing and block: She’s also a very solid back-line player and added 268 digs on the year.
Poulton developed her skills to where she’s a player you want to keep on the court, no matter where she is.
“The cool thing is if it was time for (Tausinga) to step up, Avery still had a huge impact on the back row,“ said Woods Cross coach Nicole Hogan. ”It’s her defense (that) propelled us immensely in that Skyline game. She had her hands on some balls defensively that helped us win. She helped us win as much defensively as she did offensively."
There’s a significant detail that makes Poulton as great as she is, according to Hogan. Of course, she’s got the height and build helpful for a volleyball player. But what’s really special about Poulton is she has something that coaches yearn for: a work ethic that matches the natural talent.
Hogan said she actually learned this about Poulton first through being Poulton’s web development teacher, prior to being her volleyball coach. While Hogan previously coached at Woods Cross for seven years, she only returned to coaching this year after a four-year hiatus.
Poulton often had to miss classes to travel for her club volleyball team, but she made sure to always stay in communication with her teachers. Hogan said she worked just as hard on the court as she did in the classroom.
“She was in the thick of her club seasons and they travel a lot,” Hogan said. “Every single weekend she was gone for travel. I had her in my web development class and learning HTML can be a chore. So she would send me constant messages and emails throughout the weekend, making up ground because she was not in class.
“To me that just spoke volumes, because high school students are a little reluctant to reach out for help, but she was mature and followed through. She’s a really mature athlete.”
Woods Cross is not often a school that gets to have the best athlete of a particular sport. The Wildcats have a few recent state championships in girls golf and girls tennis, but outside of those sports, it’s been over a decade since any sport won a state championship.
Poulton got to end her senior year bringing a championship trophy back to Woods Cross alongside a Ms. Volleyball banner.
Poulton’s volleyball career certainly doesn’t end here. She had significant interest from a plethora of Division I schools. Oregon was initially her school of choice, but she’s now signed with Kansas.
“There’s definitely been a lot of emotions with ending that high school era and starting collegiate,” said Poulton. “It’s been an awesome year. I couldn’t ask for anything else. It was so fun and playing with the girls and getting to win that state title with them.
“Winning this award, I’m just so grateful and excited for the next level. It’s just the little things I’m excited for and that tells you that what you’re doing, the work you’re putting in, is working.”
Past Deseret News Ms. Volleyball winners
- 2024 — Taylor Harvey, Bountiful
- 2023 — Zoey Burgess, Lone Peak
- 2022 — Jordyn Harvey, Bountiful
- 2021 — Hailee Garcia, Syracuse
- 2020 — Lauren Jardine, Lone Peak
- 2019 — Mia Wesley, Mountain View
- 2018 — Tasia Farmer, Lone Peak
- 2017 — Heather Gneiting, P. Grove
- 2016 — Dani Barton, Brighton
- 2015 — Jaiden Farr, Morgan
- 2014 — Crash Parker, Snow Canyon
- 2013 — Eliza Katoa, Layton
- 2012 — Kizzy Willey, Lone Peak
- 2011 — Bailey Farris, Morgan
- 2010 — Ashlan Rogers, Lone Peak
- 2009 — Lori Mendenhall, Brighton
- 2008 — Brooke McAlister, P. Grove
- 2007 — Lacey Laycock, Lone Peak