Twenty-three teams played in the state tournament, which was held in Richfield on October 28 and 29.
The North Summit Braves rolled in as the reigning state champions.
The Braves started the playoffs with a comfortable win over Wasatch Academy 3-0. They had a close call in the quarterfinals when they had to play five sets to beat Millard.
The team then played the #1-seeded Kanab Cowboys in the semifinals. This game did not go the Braves way. The team lost in four sets.
Head coach Samantha Stephens said the team fell short in many aspects of play.
“We needed to put more balls down. That was one thing I felt like we passed and served okay. We just needed more kills. Kanab is a good team and we're a good team too and Kanab just came out with a little more fire than we did.”
In most sports, when a team loses a playoff game, it would be out. But in this case, the Braves moved on to the third and fourth-place match. The Braves played against the South Sevier Rams. They won the game easily 3-0.
Even though the team did not win state, Stephens was happy that the team was able to rebound and beat South Sevier because it can be hard at times to do so after a loss.
Stephens added that the team is eager to win state next year, but some of the younger players have to learn that winning doesn’t happen automatically.
“These younger players have to learn that they have to win games, it doesn't just happen. Because they've kind of not written on the coattails, but it's kind of expected that we win or play for it, you know what I mean? It doesn't just come like it's a big deal to get to the State game. And it takes a lot. And I think that maybe this is gonna light a little fire under, under these young, underclassmen that, hey, we have to do what we have to do to get there.”
The team will get back to work next June to start preparing for another chance to claim the state championship.
