Third-ranked Bountiful swept Bonneville and defeated Viewmont in four sets this week to stay undefeated through 11 Region 5 matches. Farmington pulled out a tight five-set match against Davis before defeating Fremont in four sets to win both of its Region 1 matches. Viewmont and Woods Cross went 3-4 this week while Davis was winless in both of its region games.

Bountiful Boys’ Volleyball Coach Sarah Chism leads a time-out cheer as the Redhawks beat the Viewmont Vikings 3 games to 1  and go 18 and 6 on the season. Photo by Roger V. Tuttle

Bountiful

The Redhawks beat Bonneville 25-12, 25-7, 25-13 April 23 behind 10 kills from Landon Chism and nine from Aidan Sanford. Kainoa Evans served up five of the team’s 13 aces and ran the offense, recording 28 assists. Defensively, Connor Burleson had 11 digs while Vicente Perez added nine from the back line.

Against Viewmont April 25, the Redhawks won 26-24, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23.

At the Sky View Invitational April 26-27, Bountiful defeated Sky View 25-16, 25-17, 24-26, 25-13 Park City 25-14, 25-16, 25-23, and Farmington 25-11, 25-15 while losing to Copper Hills 19-25, 21-25 and Orem 27-29, 22-25.

The Redhawks are now 18-6 overall this season and 11-0 in Region 5 play.

Loud and Proud: Viewmont Boys’ Volleyball fans cheer their team on over rival Bountiful, April 25th. The vocal fans helped the Vikings win Game Three, 25 - 22, but unfortunately the Redhawks took the Match 3 games to 1 and go 18 - 6 on the season. Photo by Roger V. Tuttle

Farmington

Farmington beat Davis 25-18, 19-25, 20-25, 25-18, 13-15 April 23. Dyland Borland put away 19 kills to lead the Darts while Jake Connell had 17. Connell completed a double-double, adding 16 digs. Brayden Peck ran the offense with 34 assists while Connell and Pearce Eliason both recorded two aces each from the serving line. Defensively, Tavin Fulton led with 21 digs while Tucker Blackham added 11 and Ashton Scholz and Borland had eight and five blocks at the net, respectively.

“We emerged victorious, showcasing a stellar defensive performance and unwavering attacking consistency,” said head coach Fermin Soriano Bautista. “Our solid defense, anchored by a disciplined backline and led by a standout libero, thwarted their offensive attempts. Their cohesive attacking game kept the pressure on throughout the match. Despite fierce competition, our resilience and focus proved decisive, securing a hard-fought win and reaffirming their status as a dominant force in boys volleyball.”

Against Fremont April 25, the Phoenix squad won 25-11, 25-18, 22-25, 25-22. Borland and Scholz had nine kills each with Connell adding eight. Eliason had four aces while Connell and Peck combined for six more and Peck recorded 20 assists in running the offense. On the defensive side, Peck’s 11 digs made another double-double for the sophomore setter this week while sophomore setter Charlie Evans also had 12 assists. Fulton led Farmington defensively with 14 digs.

The Phoenix team is now 11-6 overall and 6-1 in Region 1 play.

Viewmont

Viewmont defeated Northridge 25-17, 25-14, 25-15 April 23.

“The match was great for our players,” said head coach Karl Lippa. “Everyone contributed with playing in the match. Northridge started with strong play and forced us to tighten up our passing and defense. Once we did that, I feel we ran the offense well. As the match went on, both teams showed some scrappy defense and good plays.”

In the Vikings’ four-set loss to Bountiful April 25, Lippa described the atmosphere as “electric.” “The energy in the gym was awesome with impressive attacks, big blocks, and stellar defense by both teams,” he said. “The rallies were strong with the level of play truly representing the teams currently standing at first and second in the region. Coach Chism and I both agreed that the fans were given a real treat to watch. She said, ‘I love that for fans to see, and maybe we will get more athletes to take a chance and give something new a try!’”

At the Spanish Fork Tournament April 26-27, Viewmont defeated Skyline 2-0 and Spanish Fork 3-0 while losing to Timpanogos 3-2, Cedar Valley 2-1, and Alta 3-0.

“We had tremendous competition this weekend which was excellent,” Lippa said. “I am proud of some of our younger players stepping up to fill in key roles due to injury and Prom. I felt we grew this weekend through many different learning experiences. I have been pleased with our defense, and after watching some film from the weekend, I see many skills I want us to focus on as we gear up for the end of the regular season moving into the postseason.”

The Vikings are now 14-10 this season with a 9-2 showing in Region 5.

Davis

In Davis’ five-set loss to Farmington April 23, Chase Valentine had a double-double with 16 kills and 19 digs. Jackson Kuma added 10 kills for the offense and Luke McKnight recorded 19 digs on the back line.

Against Syracuse April 25, the Darts lost 15-25, 20-25, 25-19, 25-20, 15-13. Valentine led Davis with another double-double of 14 kills and 25 digs while McKnight also put away 13 kills and had 25 digs. Jack Bennet ran the offense with 19 assists and was tops defensively with 29 digs.

The Darts fell to 11-4 this season and 4-2 in Region 1.

Woods Cross

Woods Cross lost in five sets to Clearfield 18-25, 25-22, 25-17, 14-15, 10-15 April 23.

RJ Violette was the player of the match, according to head coach Josey Hilton, with his “intensity and aggressiveness” that resulted in 10 kills – hitting a .0471 – and three blocks. She also noted Khang Tran’s 2.4 passing rating while leading the team in kills with 18.

“Headed into the second half of the season, we are seeing huge improvements from both teams, so it is like playing a whole new team again,” Hilton said. “Clearfield came out aggressive and we struggled in the first set finding our timing and rhythm. In the second set, we are able to gain some momentum, winning the set and then carrying it over to the third set where RJ had a huge contribution. We weren’t able to sustain the momentum and lost our aggressiveness in the fourth set. Playing a team like Clearfield, in their gym, momentum and staying aggressiveness on both defense and offense are key. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to sustain that and made some mental, defensive, and hitting errors that ended up costing us the game.”

In the junior varsity match against the Falcons, the Wildcats won 25-17, 25-16, 9-15, 15-12. “Eli Bodell was the difference maker for us,” Hilton said. “He played one of his most well-rounded matches of the season so far. His net play was huge for us today with a number of kills on offense and clutch monster blocks on defense. He then rounded out his play with several much-needed consistent serves.”

Woods Cross won the sophomore match against Clearfield 26-24, 19-25, 15-11. “Tanner Woffinden was the player of the match for knowing how to have fun whether we win or lose,” Hilton said. “He had never played as an outside hitter before and he definitely delivered a great performance. This goes to show how versatile he is as an athlete. Although he made mistakes just like every player, he did not let this affect him and instead, smiled through all of them. Tanner just started playing volleyball and he’s developing to be the athlete who thinks before making a play with intention. He is a coachable player and is always receptive to feedback.”

Against Bonneville April 25, the Wildcats swept the Lakers 25-7, 25-23, 25-18.

“We started strong and aggressive and it showed with the result of the first set,” said Hilton. “We tried some different lineups throughout the rest of the match, working on some different defensive and offensive strategies. This was definitely a collective team effort with everyone doing their job and staying mindful of their role and what they needed to accomplish in order to get the job done.”

John Lockwood Smoot had a 2.5 passer rating, “helping us to stay in system and allowing our settings to do their job,” according to Hilton. Clayton Schmitt ran the offense with 18 assists while Cole Howard and Tran recorded eight kills each and Hayden Poulton added seven. Tran and Dallin Olsen also teamed up for 31 digs with RJ Violette also showing up defensively with three blocks at the net.

In the JV match with Bonneville, Woods Cross won 25-20, 25-12, 11-15, 15-8.

“Olsen played high-level volleyball at the libero position,” Hilton said. “His defensive presence was felt on the court, making several key plays when we needed him. His serve-receive play was also vital to our success. This was probably his most consistent match at libero since the season started. He could feel it, and the smile on his face showed he knew he was playing well.”

The sophomore team defeated the Lakers 25-21, 17-25, 15-13. “Sean Vanous is the player of the match for being brave and tackling new challenges like a champ,” Hilton said. “Sean had never played as a front-row player and he definitely delivered both offensively and defensively. Sean had a couple of impressive swings and made a big impact despite only playing as an outside hitter for one set. His attacks definitely energized the whole team which was a huge contributor in taking the first set. We’re excited to see Sean excel in volleyball and see him grow as an all-around player.”

Hilton also credited Bentley Murdock for “being a leader in the back row” and Sam Bahr for “his fighting spirit and high efficiency.”

At the Ogden Tournament April 26-27, the Wildcats defeated Ogden 2-0 and Granger 3-0 while losing to Murray 2-0, Logan 2-0 and Ogden 3-0.

Woods Cross is 10-14 this season and 8-3 in Region 5.