In the first year of boys volleyball being sanctioned, Farmington and Davis have been picked to take second and fourth, respectively, among Region 1 teams.

Farmington

Senior outside hitter Jake Connell, junior outside hitter Tavin Fulton and sophomore middle blocker Pearce Eliason will be ones to watch for the Farmington High squad in its first year, according to head coach Fermin Soriano.

“We are very excited about the recognition of volleyball as a sanctioned sport,” Soriano said. “We see this as an opportunity to develop new programs and explore the abilities of those players who have been participating in club seasons. Now they get the time to show how important this recognition is for them.”

Senior libero Owen Yamasaki and junior middle blocker Tucker Blackham are expected to also contribute heavily when they return from injuries.

“We have a cohesive team that knows each other from different club sources and works really well together,” said Soriano. “My expectation for this team is to show up strong, bringing the values of their school to the court, fight for each game and set a good path for other teams to come.”

The junior varsity squad is expected to be led by four juniors in middle blocker Justin Pugmire, outside hitter Joshua Tolman and twins Zack and Austin Nelson, who play libero and setter, respectively. 

Also on the FHS team this season are seniors Anderson Duke, Ashton Scholz, Brayden Peck, Dylan Borland and Steele Van Noy; junior Xander Crowley; sophomores Charlie Evans, Dallin Briggs, Jade Walton, Liam Sayes, Owen Randolph-Seng and Yuvrag Multani; freshmen David Figlioli, Gavin Nelson, Jackson Sybrowsky, Jacob Mun, Jaxon Loucks, Lincoln Kendall, Oakley Perez, Oliver Lowe, Paki Moniz and Zac Bradshaw; and team managers Coen Drommond, Jazel Tafuga, Isaac Waldron and Lilliana Zavala.

In its first game of the season, Farmington lost to Mountain Ridge 23-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-16.

“This was the perfect test for the team,” said Soriano. “After we took the first set, they came on strong. We tried to stand up against their hits and serves but they were more consistent than us. We had very cohesive game play, and it was a lot of fun to see how the boys could test their abilities. It was very enlightening seeing us play in an ‘official’ game. As coaches, we gained many insights into how to adjust some aspects of our play to be a stronger and more consistent team.”

The Phoenix squad is also scheduled to play Viewmont and Sky View as well as in a Lone Peak tournament before facing Region 1 opponents Davis, Fremont, Weber, Syracuse and Layton in home-and-away matches during the regular season.

“We are very excited to participate in the first official season for volleyball and we will enjoy every one of the games,” Soriano said.

Davis

Davis High boys volleyball coach McKay Barker said there are feelings of excitement and anxiety heading into the first year of sanctioning in the sport. “There is a lot of unknown, but everyone is excited and ready for the challenge this season brings,” said Barker, who also coaches the Darts’ girls team.

Juniors Luke McKnight and Jackson Kuma are being looked to by Barker as the team’s leaders on and off the court.

“We also have so many potential players who bring a lot to the table, with several juniors and seniors that show a lot of promise,” Barker said. 

Barker has been holding open gyms for interested players for a few months in hopes of pulling together a strong team. “Our focus has mostly been just getting familiar with the game. There is so much everyone has to learn and understand,” said Barker. “Our goal is to continue to progress and get better throughout the season. We have a lot of raw talent but also a lot of work to do to get to where we need to be. We are excited for the possibilities and opportunities for the upcoming season.”

Also on the DHS team this season are seniors Brigham Garber, Carter Walsh and Josh Wood; juniors Bryson Bare, Hayden Baughman, Andrew Craig, Siona Faemani, Jacob McCauley, Austin Nelson, Max Peterson, Tyler Pulley, Brandon Sims and Liam Shiner; sophomores Jackson Bennett, Jacob Downs, Brittion Egbert, Chase Finlinson, Juan Florez, Zackary Geckler and Tomasi Hasson; and freshmen Lucas Bytheway, Bronson Edwards and Miles Edwards.

To begin the season, Davis lost to Bountiful 3-1 March 5 with junior outside hitter/middle blocker Chase Valentine recording a double-double with 10 kills and 15 digs.

Against Logan March 7, the Darts won 25-19, 25-27, 25-23, 25-17 behind Valentine’s 13 kills, 11 digs and five aces. Other top contributors were McKnight with nine kills and a match-high16 digs, Garber with five blocks and Wood and Bennett combining for 31 assists.

Davis will also play Clearfield, at Tooele’s Buffalo Stampede Tournament March 15-16 and Copper Hills and then face Region 1 opponents Farmington, Syracuse, Fremont, Layton and Weber in home-and-away contests this season.