Timp Sports Weekly
November 3, 2015
Publisher's Message
With the recent completion of the regular volleyball season, we're going to look at the most important volleyball match of Region Four play this year: the Oct. 27 showdown between the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings and the Lehi Pioneers, AKA the Froggies. At stake in that match was the question of whether the Ferocious Vikings would win sole possession of the region championship or have to share it with the Froggies, their web-footed arch rivals. To answer that question, let's look my account of the five-game match, which I must say was quite riveting -- correction, ribbiting.
Dean Von Memmott
Publisher
Ferocious PG Vikings Sink Lehi Froggies in 5-Game Volleyball Match Oct. 27
By Dean Von Memmott
Timp Sports Weekly Publisher
In a Region Four volleyball thriller at Pleasant Grove Oct. 27, the Ferocious Pleasant Grove Vikings drained the Lehi Pioneers during five games of riveting -- correction, ribbiting action by scores of 25-27-25, 25-20, 25-21, 9-25. 15-10.
Besides going down with Pleasant Grove winning another championship trophy for the Ferocious Vikings' already over-crowded awards cases, the match marked the last time that the Ferocious Vikings would be playing their home matches in their main gym. Next season, they will host visiting teams in the nearby field house.
Not wishing to lose to the same team that had lost at home to American Fork in late last September, the Froggies came out with a fierce performance against the Ferocious Vikings in the first game. Hits by Rylin Roberts, a "distant cousin" of BY Zoobie basketball legend Fred "Boo"Roberts, gave the Froggies an early 2-0 lead. Kennedy Redd smashed a hit in hopes of sparking the Ferocious Vikings into rallying back. They tied the game at six, and a Malli Valguardson kill put Pleasant Grove ahead 7-6. The Ferocious Vikings couldn't stay ahead for long, though. Serves by Sydney White, especially one ace, inspired the Froggies to leap ahead 8-7 on a Roberts' kill.
The Ferocious Vikings didn't let their web-footed guests stay ahead for long. Guided by Sara Hamson, Malli Valguardson, Kazman Tarawhittti, Brooklyn Dahl, and Redd, the Ferocious Vikings battled back to take a 12-11 lead. Hamson's fierce hits kept the Ferocious Vikings narrowly ahead for a while. Nevertheless, the Froggies' determination couldn't be dried up. Aided by White's serves, Roberts, Faith Crabb, Rachel Richards, Marta Ellsworth, and Amber Lamborn revved up a big Froggie rally after Pleasant Grove had improved its lead at 18-14. The Froggies quickly tied the game at 20. A Richards kill put Lehi ahead 21-20, drawing loud croaks of joy from the gym's upper bleachers, occupied mainly by Lehi supporters. The lead went through a brief series of switches of ownership. The game finally ended through the Ferocious Vikings failing to return a shot over the net.
The Froggies' 27-25 win in the first game gave their fans high expectations that Lehi would flood away the Ferocious Vikings in the three games. That scenario didn't come true. Hamson's hits sent the Ferocious Vikings rowing out to an early 1-0 lead. However, Roberts paced the Froggies out to a 2-1 advantage. Aided by Hamson's smacking, Dahl put Pleasant Grove ahead 3-2, but the Froggies jumped out in front 4-3. This time, they couldn't keep their webbed hands on the momentum for long. With Tania Muniz taking a turn at serving for the Ferocious Vikings, Hamson hammered hits that put Pleasant Grove ahead 7-6. Tarawhitti, Dahl, and Valguardson stepped forward to help Hamson at the net to protect the Ferocious Vikings' narrow lead. It grew as wide as 13-7. The Froggies refused to let the Ferocious Vikings row farther ahead. Roberts, Crabb, and Mikayla Upham hammered out kills that produced a 15-14 lead for the Froggies. Ferocious Viking Natalie "Easy" Ridder socked a kill that tied the game at 15, and Pleasant Grove pulled back ahead 16-15. Though a Richards ace tied the game at 17, the Ferocious Vikings didn't let the Froggies steal the lead again. Aided by Jaquelyn Langhaim's serving, hits from Hamson, Dahl, and Jenelle Biggs permitted the Ferocious Vikings to 25-21 on Hamson tip.
In the third game, Hamson's hitting soon produced a 7-2 lead for the Ferocious Vikings. That score could have spelled a quick, blowout win for the Ferocious Vikings, but their opponents proved immediately that they still had a lot of jump left in them. Lamborn and Roberts punched kills that sent Lehi leaping back within 10-9. However, Hamson's hitting enabled Pleasant Grove to stay narrowly ahead. Ridder produced key kills late in the game that improved the Ferocious Viking lead at 22-16. Roberts' hitting paced Lehi to stroke back within 24-21. A Kennedy Redd kill gave Pleasant Grove a 25-21.
Ferocious Viking fans' expectation of their team draining Lehi completely in Game 4 turned out to be a mirage. Richards, Roberts, and Lamborn guided Lehi out to a 9-1 lead. It made clear that the Ferocious Vikings would soon get flooded out of their own gym by the Froggies. The Ferocious Vikings made that scenario come true through making frequent bad hits and missed serves. The Froggies hopped at the golden opportunity that the Ferocious Vikings' mistakes had given Lehi. Roberts, Lamborn, Ellsworth, Crabb, and Richards each took a turn at registering kills devastating to the Froggies. By the time a Lamborn tip had given the Froggies a 25-9 win, Pleasant Grove fans wondered whether they had traveled back in time to the night that the Awesome American Fork Cavewomen had sunk the Ferocious Vikings in a five-game match last September.
"After the fourth game, we made changes in our focus," said Hamson. "We took Lehi more seriously."
A White kill sent the Froggies jumping out to a 2-0 lead. Hamson didn't let them take total control of the game. She registered hits that gave Pleasant Grove the momentum it needed to stay in the game. After Tarawhitti hits had tied the game at seven and eight, Redd registered a kill that put Pleasant Grove ahead 9-8. Hamson and Redd's hits kept the Ferocious Vikings narrowly ahead. When the score read 14-10, Ferocious Viking Coach Alyce Jones sent Bailey Nixon to serve. On Nixon's only official serve of the game, Hamson produced a block that gave Pleasant Grove a match point and sole ownership of the Region Four title.
"It was great to end our era in this gym with a win," Hamson said.
"I liked the way we hit the ball all the way through the match," Jones said. "It was great for us close out our era in this gym with another region championship."
The trophy for it was given to the Ferocious Vikings immediately after the match.
The Froggies' 27-25 win in the first game gave their fans high expectations that Lehi would flood away the Ferocious Vikings in the three games. That scenario didn't come true. Hamson's hits sent the Ferocious Vikings rowing out to an early 1-0 lead. However, Roberts paced the Froggies out to a 2-1 advantage. Aided by Hamson's smacking, Dahl put Pleasant Grove ahead 3-2, but the Froggies jumped out in front 4-3. This time, they couldn't keep their webbed hands on the momentum for long. With Tania Muniz taking a turn at serving for the Ferocious Vikings, Hamson hammered hits that put Pleasant Grove ahead 7-6. Tarawhitti, Dahl, and Valguardson stepped forward to help Hamson at the net to protect the Ferocious Vikings' narrow lead. It grew as wide as 13-7. The Froggies refused to let the Ferocious Vikings row farther ahead. Roberts, Crabb, and Mikayla Upham hammered out kills that produced a 15-14 lead for the Froggies. Ferocious Viking Natalie "Easy" Ridder socked a kill that tied the game at 15, and Pleasant Grove pulled back ahead 16-15. Though a Richards ace tied the game at 17, the Ferocious Vikings didn't let the Froggies steal the lead again. Aided by Jaquelyn Langhaim's serving, hits from Hamson, Dahl, and Jenelle Biggs permitted the Ferocious Vikings to 25-21 on Hamson tip.
In the third game, Hamson's hitting soon produced a 7-2 lead for the Ferocious Vikings. That score could have spelled a quick, blowout win for the Ferocious Vikings, but their opponents proved immediately that they still had a lot of jump left in them. Lamborn and Roberts punched kills that sent Lehi leaping back within 10-9. However, Hamson's hitting enabled Pleasant Grove to stay narrowly ahead. Ridder produced key kills late in the game that improved the Ferocious Viking lead at 22-16. Roberts' hitting paced Lehi to stroke back within 24-21. A Kennedy Redd kill gave Pleasant Grove a 25-21.
Ferocious Viking fans' expectation of their team draining Lehi completely in Game 4 turned out to be a mirage. Richards, Roberts, and Lamborn guided Lehi out to a 9-1 lead. It made clear that the Ferocious Vikings would soon get flooded out of their own gym by the Froggies. The Ferocious Vikings made that scenario come true through making frequent bad hits and missed serves. The Froggies hopped at the golden opportunity that the Ferocious Vikings' mistakes had given Lehi. Roberts, Lamborn, Ellsworth, Crabb, and Richards each took a turn at registering kills devastating to the Froggies. By the time a Lamborn tip had given the Froggies a 25-9 win, Pleasant Grove fans wondered whether they had traveled back in time to the night that the Awesome American Fork Cavewomen had sunk the Ferocious Vikings in a five-game match last September.
"After the fourth game, we made changes in our focus," said Hamson. "We took Lehi more seriously."
A White kill sent the Froggies jumping out to a 2-0 lead. Hamson didn't let them take total control of the game. She registered hits that gave Pleasant Grove the momentum it needed to stay in the game. After Tarawhitti hits had tied the game at seven and eight, Redd registered a kill that put Pleasant Grove ahead 9-8. Hamson and Redd's hits kept the Ferocious Vikings narrowly ahead. When the score read 14-10, Ferocious Viking Coach Alyce Jones sent Bailey Nixon to serve. On Nixon's only official serve of the game, Hamson produced a block that gave Pleasant Grove a match point and sole ownership of the Region Four title.
"It was great to end our era in this gym with a win," Hamson said.
"I liked the way we hit the ball all the way through the match," Jones said. "It was great for us close out our era in this gym with another region championship."
The trophy for it was given to the Ferocious Vikings immediately after the match.
The outside hitters name is Kazna Tarawhiti not Kazman Tarawhiitttiititiri
ReplyDeleteThanks for the correction.
ReplyDelete