4A boys volleyball: Tigers battle back in fifth set of finals, but fall short against Pine View | News, Sports, Jobs

It looked like it was over for top-seeded Orem after trailing third-seeded Pine View 12-7 in the fifth set of the 4A boys state volleyball final.

However, the Tigers still had a fight left in them.

Orem rallied to tie the set and held off two match points to push the score to 15-all. But the Panthers faced match point again at 16-15, and the game ended when the ball at the net fell to the Tigers, 50-50.

Pine View, which knocked out No. 2 Logan in five sets in the semifinals, avenged its loss to Orem earlier this season with a 3-2 victory (25-22, 21-25, 14-25, 25-2). 21, 17 vs.) 15) The first 4A boys state championship will be held Saturday at the UCCU Center.

“It was serve and receive,” Orem coach Bill Sefita said. “Serving and receiving will always be important. We always told our players that they have to take care of that early in the set, but we didn't do that. 5th set So I missed five serves, but that can't happen.”

After dropping the first set, the Tigers won the second set and carried that momentum to an 11-point victory in the third set. Orem fell behind early in the fourth set, and Pine was unable to catch his view, resulting in a draw. 5th set.

The Panthers jumped out to a 4-1 advantage and took a 10-5 lead on a Spencer Blackmore kill. After one service error by the Tigers, it was 12-7 and the Pine View crowd felt like they had won.

Ben Horne and Keanu Calles recorded kills, and following several errors by the Panthers, Horne's serve caught the back line for an ace, tying the score at 12. However, the Tigers were unable to complete the comeback.

Orem finished the season with a 28-4 record, falling short of the girls program that won the 4A title in October.

“I hope this is just a spark for the upperclassmen,” said Sefita, who led the women’s team to the title. “This is a way to pave the way for the program for young guys who are coming back. I hope it doesn't go down any further. This will become the norm and we'll move on from here.”

Pine View (25-5) was led by an offense of Blackmore and Cody Campbell and a defense that made big plays both at the net and behind the blocks. The Panthers lost to Orem 2-0 in the Southern Classic on March 9 in St. George. Saturday's win also ended the Tigers' winning streak at 11.

Pine View finished the season winning 10 of its final 11 games.

Coles and Horn, who committed to play at Southern Virginia, were the Tigers' main offensive weapons.

Sephita reflected on her first year playing boys high school volleyball in Utah.

“It's been a good trip,” he said. “I have learned a lot over the last few years coaching the girls. When it comes to the boys side, there is a difference in the way you coach and how you focus your efforts on different areas of the game. ”

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