Warriors, Cougars prepare for volleyball playoffs

Taylorsville and Kearns High’s volleyball teams have to like the positions they are in with the state championships right around the corner. The Warriors and Cougars held the top two spots in the Region 2 standings with three regular season matches remaining as of our press deadline.

Taylorsville (11-6 overall, 7-0 region) was making things look rather easy, sweeping each of its first seven region matches and winning eight consecutive overall. The Warriors, who have region matches remaining against West (Oct. 18), Kearns (Oct. 25) and Viewmont (Oct. 27), started the year 3-6.

Meanwhile, Kearns (11-12, 5-2) was just two games behind Taylorsville in the region standings. The Cougars closed the regular season with matches against Viewmont, Taylorsville and Hunter.

Taylorsville

Since region play began, the Warriors have swept Granger and Hunter twice each and West, Kearns and Viewmont once apiece. Nine of Taylorsville’s 11 wins have been sweeps.

Triniti Taylor had four kills and 20 assists in the first victory over Granger, while Tasia Taylor added six kills and 18 service points and Sam Staker had 13 kills. Lindsay Vest started the Hunter match strong with three consecutive kills, Staker had 11 kills and Triniti Taylor had six kills and 29 assists.

The Warriors kept it going against West, as Maia Sears had 12 kills, Staker 13 kills and Taylor 27 assists. Tasia Taylor scored eight straight service points in the match against Kearns, while Mena Brown collected 10 straight service points. Sears contributed nine kills in the victory.

Taylorsville rolled past Viewmont as Sears had 11 kills and 11 digs and Triniti Taylor totaled 27 assists. Tasia Taylor netted eight digs and 15 kills in the rematch with Granger while Staker had a fine all-around match with six assists, eight kills and nine digs.

Staker and Sears combined for 22 digs and 28 kills in the second match with Hunter while Triniti Taylor had 32 assists to lead the Warriors.

Kearns

Though it might not be able to catch Taylorsville atop the region standings, Kearns was doing all it could to hold off Hunter (4-3) and Viewmont (2-3) for second place.

The Cougars have swept Granger twice and Viewmont once in region play and also hold two victories over West. Kearns has lost to Taylorsville and Hunter in region action. The Cougars went 1-2 in the Utah Classic, defeating East and losing to Box Elder and Brighton, and defeated South Summit and lost to Bonneville and East in non-region action over the last month.

Micaelee Orton had five kills and eight blocks in the first victory over West, while Hailey Ross added 10 kills and Margret Falk had nine digs. Ross and Rebecka Kasala each had five kills and Tala Faumui added four kills in the first match against Granger.

Orton and Ross combined for 11 kills in the win over Viewmont while Faumui posted three blocks. Faumui had 15 kills and Orton three blocks in the loss to Hunter. Faumui totaled 11 kills and Orton had five blocks and six kills in the rematch with West. Faumui netted four kills and nine assists and Orton collected two blocks and six kills in the second match against Granger.