High school boys volleyball: Friday’s 4A Day 1 recap, Mountain View, Crimson Cliffs, Pine View and Ridgeline advance to semis

Published: May 8, 2026, 10:54 p.m. MDT

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Ridgeline celebrates after eliminating Sky View in the quarterfinals of the boys 4A state volleyball tournament at the UCCU Center in Orem on Friday, May 8, 2026. Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

By Carson Hilton

Carson Hilton has covered high school sports in Utah for the Deseret News since 2022.

4A quarterfinals

Desert Hills 3, Pine View 1

Friday’s quarterfinal win over Pine View was an emotional one for No. 3 Desert Hills.

Playing against a team with club teammates is often an inevitability in state tournaments, but doing so while stifling a comeback made it extra emotional for the Thunder.

“They’re from our region, and they’re a great team,” said Desert Hills coach Josh James. “We’ve had a lot of close games with them. I coach club for a lot of boys on that team and this team, so there’s a lot of emotion behind it that way.”

At the outset Friday, it was going Desert Hills’ way. The Thunder survived the first set 27-25 and then took the second more convincingly 25-16.

Then, Pine View rallied. The Panthers took the third set 25-21 and then earned a 22-16 lead in the fourth.

Desert Hills knew all too well that it wanted to avoid a fifth set at all possible, and that it did.

The Thunder went on a 9-3 run to close out the quarterfinal and earn a spot against Crimson Cliffs in the semis.

“In that third set we came in, I think we just came in a little too confident,” James said. “It made us start a little slower, so then we got behind, and then we had to play catch up. We almost had him in that third, but I think the catch up kind of wore us out.”

“My boys kept saying over and over, ‘We’re tired,’” James said. “I just kept saying, ‘I know you’re tired. I just need a little more.’ I think to them, in their heads, it was easier to just give it all in this one because I think going to a fifth, I think they would have struggled. They were tired, but they did awesome.”

Brodie Hoag yet again led the Thunder with 19 kills. Graham Wintle and Jordan Jenson backed Hoag up with nine kills each.

Ridgeline 3, Sky View 1

While Ridgeline coach Mandi Pinochi knew the Riverhawks had a solid chance at winning Friday’s quarterfinal over Region 11 foe Sky View, it didn’t make it any less nerve wracking.

Since last season, Sky View has generally had Ridgeline’s number. The Bobcats won three consecutive matchups before Ridgeline finally squeezed out a 3-2 win in late April.

Ridgeline once again came out on top with a 3-1 win over Sky View in the 4A quarterfinals.

“We knew we could win because they’ve done it and they wanted to do it so bad because they lost to Sky View every other year,” Pinochi said. “They just wanted it and they knew they could do it.”

Tason Jensen led the way with 20 kills. Matthew Hanson recorded nine, Teyfen Jones had eight and middle blocker Josh Smart had seven.

But Pinochi said the biggest strength of the team through the quarterfinal was the defense.

“We had some amazing ups, like our defense, their digs, and covering the tips,” said Pinochi. “Tason Jensen, our libero, really had an amazing night.”

6A/5A/4A/3A/2A state tournament scores and schedules

Mountain View 3, Snow Canyon 0

For the first time, Mountain View is headed to the 4A semifinals.

It wasn’t quite as clean as the Bruins would’ve liked, but they still took the 4A quarterfinal win over Snow Canyon in a 3-0 sweep.

Although Mountain View got the sweep, Snow Canyon played well enough to win some sets until the Bruins came on late in both of the first two.

“We didn’t have a lead in the first set until 22-21, and the second set 23-22,” said Mountain View coach Jon Fairbanks. “These guys, I’ve watched them play for years, and they keep their composure, they keep their poise, they don’t get after each other, they don’t get frustrated with each other. Eventually, their talent takes over, and they find a way to win.”

Mountain View finally found its groove in the third set, which it won in dominant fashion, 25-12. Nicholas Nelson struggled to start the quarterfinal, but he bounced back with nine kills in the second set. Nelson finished with 16 total kills.

Cohen Tiek and Carson King added to the attack with nine kills each.

The win punched Mountain View’s first ticket to the semifinals, and it has hopes of a 4A championship.

Mountain View’s Carson King (15) celebrates after a block during their quarterfinal game against Snow Canyon during the boys 4A state volleyball tournament at the UCCU Center in Orem on Friday, May 8, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

The Crimson Cliffs bench celebrates after a block during their quarterfinal game against Orem in the boys 4A state volleyball tournament at the UCCU Center in Orem on Friday, May 8, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Deseret Hills’ Jack Openshaw (34) celebrates after a kill during their quarterfinal game against Pine View during the boys 4A state volleyball tournament at the UCCU Center in Orem on Friday, May 8, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Pine View’s Brock Swensen (7) sets the ball during a second round game against Provo during the boys 4A state volleyball tournament at the UCCU Center in Orem on Friday, May 8, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Athletes compete during the quarterfinals of the boys 4A state volleyball tournament at the UCCU Center in Orem on Friday, May 8, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Athletes compete during the second round of the boys 4A state volleyball tournament at the UCCU Center in Orem on Friday, May 8, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Crimson Cliffs 3, Orem 1

Slowly, No. 2 Crimson Cliffs was losing its grip on the quarterfinal.

The Mustangs started strong with two dominant wins in the opening sets, but a rally from No. 7 Orem nearly forced a fifth set.

But despite a 10-point deficit, Crimson Cliffs crawled back for the 3-1 quarterfinal win.

“Orem did a great job of stepping up,” said Crimson Cliffs head coach Raelene Elam. “They did a great job of reducing their errors, which was huge for them, and we have a tendency when we lose a few points to kind of get down on ourselves.

“I think the biggest thing was just them stepping up and us not necessarily answering back until the end.”

Crimson Cliffs earned quick 25-12 and 25-17 wins in the opening sets and it felt like the Mustangs were on their way to a third.

However, Orem answered back strongly with a 25-20 set win. Everything for Crimson Cliffs was in jeopardy as the Tigers used that momentum to get a 17-7 lead in the fourth set.

Despite the deficit, Elam put her trust in her players and let them ride it out without taking a timeout.

“I just put faith in them that they could do it and I knew that they could,” Elam said. “It was just a matter of them believing in themselves.”

After that deficit, Crimson Cliffs outscored Orem 19-7 for the win.

Garrett Campbell led the way offensively with 16 kills, while Cohen Romney added nine.

4A second round

Ridgeline 3, Murray 0

No. 12 Ridgeline’s Andrew Pinochi led the RiverHawks to a commanding 3-0 victory over No. 5 Murray with 15 kills and a .414 hitting percentage.

Teyfen Jones added eight kills with a .316 hitting clip, contributing to Ridgeline’s steady offensive performance. Kolby Laing orchestrated the attack with 34 assists, helping the RiverHawks comfortably secure set victories with scores of 25-18, 25-16 and 25-17.

Sky View 3, Highland 0

Sky View’s offensive attack was led by Bearett Jackman and Carson McUne, each tallying 13 kills, as the Bobcats swept the Highland Rams 3-0 in the 4A playoffs.

McUne was particularly efficient, hitting .542. Hayden Davis contributed with eight kills and shared credit with Jackman for two aces apiece.

Sky View dominated with set scores of 25-20, 25-18, and 25-18, advancing comfortably to the next round.

Snow Canyon 3, Timpanogos 2

No. 9 Snow Canyon survived No. 8 Timpanogos with a 3-2 victory in the 4A second round.

Nathan Harris was a standout for the Warriors, racking up 27 kills, while Isaac Jaster contributed with 17 kills. The match clincher came in the decisive fifth set, where Snow Canyon narrowly prevailed 15-12.

Mountain View 3, Cedar City 0

No. 1 Mountain View swept No. 17 Cedar City 3-0 during the 4A playoffs. Nicholas Nelson led the Bruins with a commanding 12 kills. Micah Fairbanks and Carson King contributed six kills each.

The Bruins won with set scores of 25-12, 25-20, and 25-13, overwhelming the Reds throughout the match.

Desert Hills 3, Hurricane 0

No. 3 Desert Hills swept No. 19 Hurricane 3-0 in the 4A second round, dominating across all three sets.

Brodie Hoag delivered a stellar performance, leading the Thunder with 18 kills, while Graham Wintle contributed eight. Richard Morales orchestrated the offensive with 24 assists, effectively setting up his teammates.

Jordan Jenson made a notable impact from the service line, adding four aces.

Crimson Cliffs 3, Stansbury 0

No. 2 Crimson Cliffs swept No. 15 Stansbury 3-0. The Mustangs dominated with scores of 25-17, 25-17, and 25-19.

Xander Vernon led the Mustangs with a standout performance, achieving a hitting percentage of .875 while notching seven kills. Garrett Campbell matched Vernon with seven kills of his own.

Orem 3, Green Canyon 1

Treyvon Cly delivered a standout performance with 27 kills, leading Orem to a 3-1 victory over Green Canyon in the 4A second round.

The Tigers sealed the win with a 25-21 set in the fourth, after a RiverHawk 25-23 comeback in the second set. Isaac Richardson chipped in with six kills, while Christian Chun and Mosaea Toaivao added five kills each.

Pine View 3, Provo 2

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Pine View rallied to a 3-2 victory over Provo, claiming the decisive fifth set 15-12 after dropping two in a row.

The Panthers were led by Luke Luekenga’s 19 kills. Brock Swenson contributed with 15 kills, while Pale Lefau added 12 kills.

After Pine View won the first two sets comfortably, Provo pushed back to force a tiebreaker, only to fall short in the final set.

Pine View advances with a final scoreline of 25-17, 25-15, 25-27, 16-25, 15-12.

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