Woods Cross

Woods Cross went undefeated in six matches at the Cache Challenger Oct. 11-12 to win the tournament. The Wildcats dropped just two sets on the weekend, with those both coming in the final match to Green Canyon.

The first day, Woods Cross beat Sky View 25-10, 25-16, Burley (Idaho) 25-8, 25-18 and Union 25-18. Avery Poulton put away 26 kills over the three matches with 11 from Alisi Tapa’atoutai and nine from Alexis Ormsby. Zamari Christensen ran the offense with 46 assists and also led the team defensively with 23 digs. Adia Cook – who recently moved to the libero position, recorded 21 digs.

“It was really good to see the girls come together as a team and try some new things, run some new plays and really work out some kinks before we head into our last region games and then state,” said head coach Josey Hilton. “It was an unspoken goal that we wanted to win this tournament and so ending Friday with some great momentum got us ready for Saturday, as we knew we would see some tougher teams.”

On Day Two, the Wildcats defeated Layton 25-22, 25-18, 25-16 and Morgan 25-13, 25-16, 25-18 to reach the finals against Green Canyon which ended in a five set win 11-25, 27-25, 25-27, 25-9, 15-11.

“This was the match up we were hoping for and Green Canyon did not disappoint,” Hilton said. “They served and hit aggressive and their defense was so scrappy.  We had to up our game a notch and learn to make adjustments quickly. The girls did just that – it was great to watch them dial in and get the job done.”

Poulton had 50 of the team’s 125 kills on Saturday while Tapa’atoutai added 31 with 13 from Sarah Robison and 10 from Ormsby. Christensen recorded 100 assists with the offense. Poulton had 33 digs on the back line with Cook “solidifying her position as our libero,” according to Hilton, with 31 while Christensen added 28. Hilton also noted the seven “massive” bocks that Robison had in the fifth set of the championship match. “Sarah came in huge for us,” Hilton said. “Also, a shoutout to Bailey Anderson and Orillana Matagi who came in and played defense for us. This win was definitely a team effort. We couldn’t have done it without our entire roster playing important roles.”

Players of the tournament for WXHS were Christensen, Poulton, Tapa’atoutai, Cook and Robison.

In Region 5 matches this week, Woods Cross lost to top-ranked Bountiful 25-23, 20-25, 25-21, 25-18 Oct. 8.

The Player of the Match was Cook, passing a 2.2 and leading the team defensively with 13 digs. “Adia was moved to libero for this match and she did amazing,” Hilton said. “What makes Adia so special is that she is a volleyball player, a student of the game and a great teammate. She had never played libero before, however she had a great can do attitude and stepped into it with confidence and a smile on her face.” 

Poulton led on offense with 17 kills while Christensen recorded 31 assists. She also had 12 digs and four “monster” blocks with Poulton adding nine digs and two blocks. 

“This was our biggest match for the season by far, unfortunately, we were not able to come out with the win,” Hilton said. “They came out aggressive, setting a ton of balls to Taylor (Harvey). We did a good job managing in the first three sets; unfortunately, things got rocky in the fourth set and we weren’t able to bounce back like we needed to. With a team like Bountiful, we have to get up early and stay up as it is super hard to recover once you are down. The girls battled and we did come back from a 10 point deficit in the fourth set to tie it up at 17, however, we just couldn't hold on to that momentum.”

In the JV match against the Redhawks, the Wildcats won 27-25, 25-13, 12-15, 12-15, 15-10. “The Player of the Match was Bailey Anderson,” Hilton said. “This was Bailey’s first game back from a concussion and she looked like she hadn’t even lost a step. She was passing nails on serve receive and getting digs right and left. We are so proud of her for all she’s had to endure this season and she has done it with a smile.”

The sophomore squad lost in two sets to Bountiful 25-21, 25-7 with Sophia Borges receiving the player recognition. “Sophia not only did amazing on the net, she played some amazing defense. She was an all-around volleyball player which helped level up her team,” said Hilton. “An additional shoutout to Elyse Young who was a key player in the back row. She really helped us keep the ball alive and kept us in the game with her effort and attitude.”

Against Clearfield Oct. 10, Woods Cross won 20-25, 25-17, 25-12, 25-12.

“Coming off a big game with a big crowd, the energy was low and we started off slow,” Hilton said. “However, we were able to rebound in the second set and get the win. Clearfield came out very aggressive, reminding us that we need to stay in the moment 100 percent of the time.”

Christensen received the team’s Player of the Match with 42 assists, earning 14 points off of her “tough” serves, and putting away six kills. “She is definitely an offensive weapon for us and it is fun to watch her to see the gaps and take advantage,” Hilton said. 

Poulton nearly had a double-double with 23 kills and nine digs with Cook again leading the team on defense with 17 kills.

In the JV match against the Falcons, the Wildcats won 23-25, 25-17, 15-9, 15-10 behind the play of Daesha Roberts. “Daesha was hitting really well,” Hilton said. “She had so many good hits and her timing with her setters was spot on! After mistakes, she bounced back and would swing even harder on the next one and get a kill. She was cheering for all her teammates and kept a super positive attitude all night.”

Hilton also noted the defensive play of Anderson and Orillana Matagi and an “awesome hitting game” from Ava Bishke.

The sophomore team lost in three sets to Clearfield 25-23, 21-25, 15-13 with Jade Hall receiving the Player of the Match. “Jade was so aggressive on the front row,” said Hilton. “We loved her positive attitude the whole time and she always had a smile on her face during the game. She also made an appearance in the JV game and killed it!” Hilton also noted Julie Buchanan’s consistent passing in the match.

The Woods Cross varsity team is now 20-4 overall this season and 8-2 in Region 5 play.

Bountiful

Bountiful defeated Woods Cross in four sets Oct. 8 in a battle of the region’s top two teams.

Against Bonneville Oct. 9, the Redhawks won 25-17, 25-9, 25-13.

In the 5A/6A Volleyball Challenge Oct. 10-12, Bountiful went 4-2 with straight-set wins over Spanish Fork 25-17, 25-19, 25-17, Cedar 25-13, 25-21, 25-17 and Skyridge 26-24, 25-18, 25-17 while also defeating Madison (Idaho) 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 25-23. Its two losses were to Lone Peak 25-20, 28-30, 25-23, 25-23 and Skyview (Idaho) 21-25, 25-15, 25-15, 25-20.

Bountiful remains undefeated through 10 region matches and improved to 20-4 overall.

Viewmont

Viewmont lost to Clearfield in three sets Oct. 8 25-18, 25-21, 25-15.

Against Northridge Oct. 10, the Vikings were again swept 25-15, 25-20, 25-20.

Viewmont fell to 3-7 in the Region 5 standings and are 9-11 on the season.

Davis

Davis lost to Weber 25-18, 25-16, 26-24 Oct. 8.

The Darts were led by Paige Halliday with eight kills while Avery Jensen ran the offense with 10 assists. Halliday also led defensively at the net with four blocks.

Davis is still winless through six Region 1 matches and is 6-17 so far this year.

Farmington

Farmington defeated Syracuse in three sets 25-17, 25-11, 25-15 Oct. 8.

In the Ogden Classic Tournament Oct. 11-12, the Phoenix squad went 3-1. They swept Juan Diego 25-21, 25-23 and beat Juab 20-25, 25-13, 15-11 and Wasatch 25-15, 18-25, 15-9 the first day and then lost to Clearfield 25-21, 25-19, 25-21 on Day Two.

Farmington is now 3-3 in Region 1 and 11-12 overall. λ