|
Tess Crowley, Deseret News
2A Semifinals
Salt Lake Academy 3, Maeser Prep 0
Salt Lake Academy looked and played like you’d expect a top seed to play Friday. It went 6-0 on the day, including a 3-0 sweep of Maeser Prep in the semifinals. The Griffins never allowed more than 19 points in a single set.
“We came in and we had good energy this morning, which is always good for first day of playoffs,” said Salt Lake Academy coach Brogan Johnson. “I think we could have passed a little bit better, but our outsides took care of the ball today and we moved past errors that could have got us caught up on things.”
Elijah Johnson led Salt Lake Academy again with six kills, while Brock Rhoades and Takeo Derby each added five.
This season is the first for 2A volleyball, and in the past, Salt Lake Academy played in 3A. Last year, the Griffins fell in the quarterfinals against Morgan, but now they have a chance to grab the first-ever 2A state title.
“We’re just super excited,” said Johnson. “This is a place that we haven’t been yet, and we’ve been trying to get here for the past years. It’s just rewarding to finally get to that stage and just be where we need to be for the last game of the season.”
American Heritage 3, Draper APA 1
Friday’s semifinal between American Heritage and Draper APA started a little dicey for the Patriots after they dropped the first set 25-23.
However, the Patriots recovered and took the next three sets for the 3-1 win and advanced to the first-ever 2A championship game.
“I think they just came in a little tentative,” said American Heritage coach Brad Castle. “We talked about focusing on our game and playing our tempo and staying within our system. Once they did that, things looked a lot brighter for us.”
American Heritage’s offense was led by outside hitters Dallin Castle and Peter Jacobson. Patriots setter Lincoln Ericson also played well in the win.
Despite losing only three matches in the regular season, American Heritage lost its third one to Maeser Prep 3-0. Coach Castle said it was a good learning experience for his team.
“Believe it or not, the loss we learned a ton from,” Castle said. “Those guys learned the importance of coming in strong, coming in aggressive, and just playing at a different level.
“This is a state championship tournament. This is not a regular tournament, so picking up at a different level, I was proud of the boys for doing that.”
American Heritage will face top-seeded Salt Lake Academy in Saturday’s 2A championship game.
2A Quarterfinals
Maeser Prep 3, Freedom Prep Academy 0
Strong play in the middle from Maeser Prep’s captains helped the fifth-seeded Lions slip past No. 4 seed Freedom Prep in the 2A quarterfinals at UVU on Friday, 25-21, 25-19, 25-16.
Junior middle blocker Mason Hemingway and sophomore middle blocker Josh Richards both finished with eight kills to lead the way for Maeser Prep, which also got a strong game from Vanko Stewart, who added five kills.
Freshman libero En-lun Chang led the way in a strong passing performance for the Lions, who advanced to the semifinals to face top-seed Salt Lake Academy.
Salt Lake Academy 3, Utah Military Hillfield 0
Senior Elijah Johnson racked up 14 kills and fellow senior Takeo Derby added nine more as No. 1 seed Salt Lake Academy rolled past No. 8 seed Utah Military Academy Hill Field for the 25-9, 25-17, 25-19 win in the 2A quarterfinals at UVU on Friday.
The Griffins jumped out fast and coasted from there as junior setter Ryder Harrison controlled the tempo offensively, finishing with 29 assists.
American Heritage 3, Vanguard 1
No. 2 seed American Heritage survived a scare against No. 7 Vanguard in the 2A quarterfinals at UVU on Friday, ultimately prevailing 27-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-22.
Patriots outside hitters Peter Jacobson and Dallin Castle both contributed strong games hill, while setter Lincoln Ericson controlled the game offensively.
Draper APA 3, Dugway 0
Despite playing without two of its starting middles, No. 3 Draper APA was able to take care of business against No. 6 Dugway in the 2A quarterfinals at UVU on Friday, winning 25-19, 25-12, 25-23.
Yazeed Sarhan filled in at middle and played a great game according to coach Jennifer Williams, registering numerous tips and blocks in a big defensive performance.
Sophomore libero Lincoln Davis played great defense as well for the Eagles, with Nate Wadsworth having a strong game serving.
