Warriors subdue Pine View; D-Hills, Dixie both win to set up rematch for 1st

Snow Canyon's Sammi Johnston (11) and Pine View's Teuila Leung Choi (23), Pine View vs. Snow Canyon, Volleyball, St. George, UT, Sept. 26, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – The top two teams in Region 9 both won Tuesday, though Desert Hills’ win over Cedar was not easy. The featured game pitted the two teams just below Desert Hills and Dixie in the standings. Snow Canyon lost the first set, but came back and won the next three to take a two-game lead over Pine View for third place in the region. Below are game summaries of the action:

Snow Canyon 3, Pine View 1

The rematch between Snow Canyon and Pine View was pretty intense, especially in the deciding set. In their first meeting, the Lady Warriors outlasted visiting Pine View. This meeting also nearly went to a fifth set, but Snow Canyon rebounded after blowing a huge lead to take a victory in the fourth and finish the match 22-25, 25-23, 25-13, 26-24.

After winning quite easily in the third set, it appeared that the Lady Warriors were going to bowl over Pine View in the fourth as well. They took a commanding 17-10, then 22-15 lead. The Panthers then went on a 9-0 run. During that run, Snow Canyon head coach Ryan Rarick took his two timeouts to try and stem the Panther tide. Rarick tried to calm his girls during the Panther comeback.

Pine View’s Celeste Fiame (6), Pine View vs. Snow Canyon, Volleyball, St. George, UT, Sept. 26, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

“They rattled off about 10 straight points to get two set points,” Rarick said. “I kept reiterating to the girls that we needed to simplify the game. Pass the serve. Set the ball. Kill the ball or put it in a tough spot. The girls responded.”

Pine View coach Kelly Murdock took a positive approach during the timeouts.

“I told our girls to keep the foot on the gas,” she said. “I wanted them to keep on swinging and to keep that momentum.”

The Panthers had two set points at 24-22 to send the match to a fifth. But a service and attack error tied things up. Lizzy Rowland then put Snow Canyon back on top with a service ace. Murdock then called her final timeout.

“During the last timeout I quoted ‘Eye of the Tiger’ to the girls,” Rarick said. “I emphasized how much fun it is to play competitive volleyball and rising up to the challenge of our rivals. Pine View had responded earlier and now it was a chance for our girls to respond and finish the match.”

After a heated and extended volley, the Panthers final attack went wide and Snow Canyon took the four-set win.

Pine View’s Amelia Goebel (19) and Saravyn Allen (3), Pine View vs. Snow Canyon, Volleyball, St. George, UT, Sept. 26, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

In the first set, the teams played even in the early going. Addyson Mikkelson set the tone for her play throughout the match with two early blocks and a kill to pace the Lady Panthers to a 6-4 lead. Snow Canyon retook the lead with Sophie Robinson’s cross court kill, 7-6.

After the teams were knotted at 10-10, the Lady Warriors went on a 5-0 run. Savannah North’s tip kill put SCHS up 15-10. The Panthers came back and Rarick took timeout when the score was 18-16 in favor of Snow Canyon.

Pine View continued its momentum and two straight blocks from Amelia Goebel and Celeste Fiame tied the score once again at 20-20. With the score tied at 22, Pine View’s Emily Lantor got a big block to get the side out. The Panthers then served out to take the first set.

The second set was again tight in the beginning. It was tied several times, the last coming at 12-12. The Warriors then got some distance going on a 10-4 run. During the run, Snow Canyon got a key block from North and a dump kill from setter Addie Tauanuu. Hallie Remund’s kill gave the Warriors a 22-16 advantage.

“I could see their blockers moving over to our attackers out of the corner of my eye,” Tauanuu said. “I don’t do it often, but when I do dump the ball, it catches them off guard.”

Pine View vs. Snow Canyon, Volleyball, St. George, UT, Sept. 26, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Once again the Panthers rebounded. Setting outside hitter Saraven Allen proved fruitful as the diminutive attacker still rose high above the net for three vicious kills. Pine View pulled to within one, 23-22, before Snow Canyon could get a side out. Sammy Johnston’s kill finished the set and tied the match at one game apiece.

The loss seemed to deflate Pine View heading into the third set. North got two straight kills to put Snow Canyon up 4-2. After Johnston got the Warriors a side out with a kill at 7-4, Jael Wilde got in a rhythm serving and staked SCHS out to an 11-4 lead.

“It is nice to get in a rhythm serving,” Wilde said. “The coaches do a good job telling us where to put it. I was able to place them tonight.” Wilde led the team with five service aces.

That lead kept growing and Murdock was forced to call a timeout at 18-6. Pine View staged a mini-comeback when Kaylani Reis notched a couple of aces. The Panthers pulled to within 21-13 before a Warrior side out. Two service aces from Johnston led to set point when North finished the set with a tip-kill.

Snow Canyon’s Addison Tauanuu (5), Pine View vs. Snow Canyon, Volleyball, St. George, UT, Sept. 26, 2017, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

It looked as if the Panthers were still playing flat to begin the fourth. Snow Canyon led 10-4, then 13-6. Murdock took her first timeout. At that point, the Panthers slowly clawed back into it, leading to the final moments of the match.

For the Warriors, Johnston led the team with 19 kills. Tauanuu had 23 assists. Recording double-digit digs were Wilde (21), Johnston (20), and Rowland (10). Remund led the team with four blocks.

Individually for the Panthers, Allen led the team with 14 kills. Mikkelson, Allen and Goebel each had three blocks. Recording double-digit digs were Mikkelson (15), Teuila Leung Choi (14), Fiame (13) and Allen (11).

“Sammi Johnston led us in kills, but she also does all the dirty work for us as well,” Rarick said. “She was hitting the floor tonight for tough digs and cleaning up messes when we don’t pass or set well. She generally lifts her teammates up. We are lucky to have her.”

Snow Canyon moves to 5-2 in Region 9 and 9-8 overall. The Lady Warriors will host Canyon View on Thursday night. Pine View falls to 3-4 in region play and 17-9 overall. The Lady Panthers will travel to Hurricane on Thursday.

Desert Hills 3, Cedar 1

Desert Hills kept pace with Dixie to set up a showdown between the two first-place teams this Thursday. It was not easy, however, as Cedar took a set and nearly two from the Thunder. The Lady Reds would eventually succumb 25-11, 19-25, 25-9, 26-24.

“We had great serving tonight throughout,” Cedar head coach Nicole Anglin said. “Our passing hurt us in the first and third sets. So much that it took us out of the sets. We did much better in sets two and four.”

In the first set, Cedar stayed close initially, trailing 10-9, before the Lady Thunder scored 10 straight on Andie Sonju’s service. The gap was too much to overcome for the Reds in set one.

In the second set, the Thunder jumped out to an early 7-3 lead. A side out and six straight points during Jaidi Wilden’s serve put Cedar in front 10-7. The Lady Reds continued to add to their lead. Thunder head coach Sharon Christensen called a timeout with Desert Hills trailing 16-10. Afterward, Desert Hills kept pace, but could not make up ground, losing by that same margin.

The loss seemed to fire up the Thunder as they demolished Cedar in the third set, 25-9. Desert Hills broke out during the services of the Sonju sisters. The two accounted for 14 of the 25 points during their services.

The deciding set, Cedar hung with the Thunder early and was within one, 11-10, when Christensen called a Desert Hills timeout. Afterward, the Thunder scored five straight and eventually took a commanding 21-12 lead. Cedar then went on a run to pull within 22-18.

During Bailee Fielding ‘s service, the Reds actually tied the game at 24 late in the set.

“Shaun Bauman played outstanding in that final stretch to get us back into the match,” Anglin said. “Unfortunately, we could not finish the comeback.” The Thunder got a side out and Halle Sonju served out the match.

Individually for Desert Hills, Andie Sonju and Halle Sonju both had five service aces. Madi Clark led the team with 12 kills. Kylie Christensen had seven blocks. Andie Sonju and Saselah Goulding each had 16 assists. Recording double-digit digs were Allie Beck (21), Halle Sonju (19), Andie Sonju (15), Clark (13) and Goulding (10).

For the Lady Reds, Jaidi Willden and Dream Weaver had seven and six kills, respectively. Bauman had 27 service receptions.

“We are grateful to pull out this win against a young, scrappy Cedar team,” Christensen said.

Desert Hills stays tied for first at 6-1 in Region 9 and 12-10 overall. The Lady Thunder will face Dixie at home on Thursday. Cedar falls to 2-5 in region and 8-9 overall. The Lady Reds will have a bye Thursday night. They resume region play on Oct. 3 with a trip to Canyon View.

Dixie 3, Hurricane 0

The varsity match at Dixie High School had a delay. Not due to inclement weather. Not due to overtime sub-varsity matches. This delay was due to bats.

“Eight bats flew out of our ceiling in the main gym,” Dixie head coach Stacy Leavitt said. “We had to move the game into the auxiliary gym.”

With Tyler Stilson still out of the lineup, the Lady Flyers got nearly equal production across the board from their attackers to sweep Hurricane 25-11, 25-17, 25-14.

“We had almost everyone with 5-6 kills apiece,” Leavitt said.

Shawnee Jones led the team with 10 digs. Jones and Brooklyn Wright had seven service aces apiece.

Individually for Hurricane, Jeanette Cram had five service aces and two kills. London Gubler had two service aces and four kills. Bryn Erickson and Alexis Martin had three blocks apiece. Martin also led the team with 11 assists. Abbie Elison led the team with eight digs.

Dixie improves to 6-1 in Region 9 and 11-3 overall. The Lady Flyers travel to Desert Hills to determine first place in the region standings on Thursday night. Hurricane falls to 0-7 in Region 9 and 4-11 overall. Hurricane will host Pine View on Thursday night.

REGION 9 VOLLEYBALL STANDINGS
1. Dixie 6-1 (11-3)
1. Desert Hills 6-1 (12-10)
3. Snow Canyon 5-2 (9-8)
4. Pine View 3-4 (17-9)
5. Canyon View 2-4 (8-9)
6. Cedar 2-5 (8-9)
7. Hurricane 0-7 (4-11)

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

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