6A quarterfinals
Lehi 3, Cedar Valley 0
Top-seeded Lehi took care of business on day one of the 6A state tournament. It followed its 3-0 first-round sweep of Westlake with another 3-0 sweep of Cedar Valley to punch its ticket to the semifinals.
“If they are playing with energy and excitement, they’re tough to beat,” said Lehi coach Kolby Shewell. “If they ever get down, then we got to figure things out. But this team does really well when they’re staying mentally focused and mentally strong.”
While it went 6-0 on the day, Cedar Valley pushed the Pioneers. Lehi had to close out sets two and three of the quarterfinals 25-22 and 25-23.
Not only did Lehi earn a second consecutive trip to the semifinals, but Kolby Shewell’s son, Ashton Shewell, showed why he’s one of the premiere outside hitters in the state.
Ashton Shewell finished its second-round game against Westlake with 13 kills while hitting .333. He then one-upped that with a dominant 21 kills with a .405 hitting efficiency performance.
Kolby Shewell said one of the biggest boons for Lehi this year was Ashton Shewell increasing his efficiency with the same number of attacks.
“This year, his focus was to be more efficient because he’s always had a lot of attempts,” Kolby Shewell said. “Our first year, he had the most attempts, probably in this state. This year, we have a solid team that’s getting him open looks, but he is the most determined kid.”
A year ago, Lehi made the semifinals only to be swept by eventual champion Bingham. This year, as the top seed, it has a strong chance to earn its first-ever championship appearance.
Mountain Ridge 3, Herriman 0
Despite having a strong 2-0 lead over Region 2 rival Herriman, No. 5 Mountain Ridge head coach Bryan Nicholson knew his team couldn’t give up an inch.
But the Sentinels nearly did despite having a 23-19 lead over the Mustangs in the third set. Herriman took a time out and rallied back to a 28-28 tie.
However, Mountain Ridge toughed it out and earned the 3-0 sweep for a semifinal appearance.
“In that timeout that (Herriman) called, I told them that lead isn’t safe because they’re fighting for their lives,” Nicholson said. “Obviously, we went into extra points there, but I was really proud of my guys’ composure. When it gets to that kind of pressure situation, nobody freaks out. They just kind of stay composed and still stay aggressive.”
Once again, Sentinels’ outside hitter Clark Fowler led with a dominant game. Fowler finished the quarterfinal with 20 kills. While the offense was strong, it wasn’t the offense that carried Mountain Ridge through day one; it was the defense.
“I feel like our serve receive, and passing was on point on both of those matches today,” Nicholson said. “It keeps us in system, and it keeps us being able to swing at balls.”
The Sentinels will have a chance to have a repeat appearance in the 6A championship, but they’ll have to beat top-seeded Lehi in tomorrow’s semifinal.
Bingham 3, Farmington 0
No. 2 Bingham was firing on all cylinders until its second set with Farmington in the quarterfinals. Before that set, Bingham was cleanly taking care of business and was quickly advancing to a semifinal appearance.
That was put in jeopardy after Farmington rallied to a 24-22 lead.
Bingham head coach Ben Chamberlain took a timeout to get his team refocused. It worked and the Miners rallied for the set win and kept the momentum for a 3-0 sweep.
“It’s a group that just doesn’t give up,” Chamberlain said. “Being down 24-22, take a timeout, put some pressure on the serve, and we came back. We just don’t quit, and we’re not going to quit until we have another ring on our hand. They have fight, they have passion, they have fire, and they’re going push through as far as they can.”
Brody Siddoway led Bingham with 15 kills, while JJ Faiivae had eight and Jerico Jones added seven.
The Miners are certainly not satisfied with just the 6-0 day one. The defending champs are eager to reclaim the throne it ascended to just a year ago.
“All you can do is just focus on what you learned, push through, have our coaching staff supporting the boys the whole way through,” Chamberlain said. “Defending champions, we got a target on our back and we’re not going to let anybody hit it.”
Lone Peak 3, Corner Canyon 0
No team played as clean in day one of the 6A state tournaments as No. 2 Lone Peak. It went 6-0 and never allowed more than 20 points in a single set.
It punched yet another ticket to the semifinals with a clean 3-0 sweep of Region 3 foe Corner Canyon.
“We said, ‘We’re not going to take throttle off,’” said Lone Peak coach Cecil Reed. “It really was about just keeping the throttle down the whole time and making sure that we stay with the same intensity the whole time.”
The Knights have one of the best attacks in the state, thanks to its double-setter system with Will Dayton and Lucky Jennings.
The two Lone Peak setters are complemented by Kilika Tafa, who had 12 kills with a .476 hitting efficiency, and Brady Holt, who had 11 kills while hitting .474.
“Lucky and Will, it doesn’t really matter who they’re next to, they just run the show,” Reed said. “They just really get the ball where it’s supposed to be. And our players, Kilika and Brady, seriously, I don’t know what to say about those guys.”
Its reward for dominating day one is a chance against defending 6A champion Bingham.
“This should be the championship game,” said Reed. “They’re a fantastic team to go against. Lehi’s got a tough match on their side. So, it’s four good teams in the semis, and best man wins.”
6A second round
Cedar Valley 3, Davis 2
No. 8 Cedar Valley narrowly held off a comeback from No. 9 Davis and took the 6A tournament win in five sets, 3-2. Luke Michaelis led the Aviators with an efficient performance, amassing 11 kills with a .733 hitting percentage. After losing the first two sets, the Darts stormed back to force a fifth set. However, Cedar Valley secured the victory with a 15-6 fifth-set win. Michaelis was supported offensively with nine kills from Jonny Petersen, eight from Larsen Lemusu and seven from Swayden Sabey. Sam Davis contributed three aces in the win.
Mountain Ridge 3, Copper Hills 1
Kallen Siriprathane’s 13 kills helped lead No. 5 Mountain Ridge to a 3-1 victory over No. 12 Copper Hills in the second round of the 6A tournament. The Sentinels secured the win by closing out with a 25-22 triumph in the fourth set, after Copper Hills started to come back in the third. Clark Fowler and Nesta Vaitai steadied the offense with 11 kills apiece for Mountain Ridge. Despite a strong third set from Copper Hills, the Grizzlies couldn’t maintain their momentum to force a fifth set.
Lehi 3, Westlake 0
Top-seeded Lehi made quick work of No. 16 Westlake in straight sets in the 6A first round. Jonny Dustin led the Pioneers offensively with 14 kills, and did so accurately with a .500 hitting efficiency. Ashton Shewell also contributed with 13 kills and a .333 hitting efficiency. Lehi really broke away in the second set, which it won 20-9.
Herriman 3, Layton 0
No. 4 Herriman Mustangs swept the No. 13 Layton Lancers in straight sets, winning 25-15, 25-14, 25-17 to advance in the 6A state tournament. Jayson Gonzalez led Herriman offensively with 10 kills, while Carter Scott and Koen Bisquera each had seven kills. Defensively, Scott protected against the attack with five blocks in the win. The Mustangs’ defense stifled the Lancers and never allowed more than 17 points in a single set.
Corner Canyon 3, Riverton 1
No. 6 Corner Canyon fended off No. 11 Riverton 3-1. Despite Riverton’s determined 25-17 third-set effort that brought them back into contention, Corner Canyon maintained control, securing the win with a steady 25-17 performance in the fourth set.
Farmington 3, Weber 1
No. 7 Farmington recovered after dropping the second set to win with a four-set victory over No. 10 Weber, scoring 25-17, 23-25, 25-17, 25-18. Pearce Eliason led the Phoenix with 12 kills, closely followed by Devin Young, who contributed 11. Yuvraj Multani also made an impact with nine kills offensively and four blocks defensively. The Phoenix advances to play No. 2 Bingham in the quarterfinals.
Bingham 3, Syracuse 0
No. 2 Bingham earned a convincing 3-0 victory over No. 15 Syracuse Titans in the 6A second round. Jerico Jones led the charge with 10 kills and three blocks, while Brody Siddoway contributed nine kills. The Miners dominated throughout, taking each set decisively with scores of 25-14, 25-19, and 25-18. The Bingham defense held Syracuse to just 51 total points.
No. 3 Lone Peak dominated its 6A playoff match with a decisive 3-0 victory over No. 14 American Fork, winning sets by scores of 25-12, 25-17, and 25-19. Kilika Tafa shone for the Knights with 12 kills at .500, complemented by Brady Holt’s 10 kills at .643, as the team posted a combined .420 hitting percentage overall. The Knights also delivered six aces to maintain control throughout the match. William Dayton led with 19 assists, while Lucky Jennings contributed 14 for Lone Peak.