Since the beginning of May, Maple Mountain has been one of the most dominant teams in the state. Before Saturday's 5A championship match, the Golden Eagles had won 16 straight games, with their last five wins coming as 3-0 sweeps.
Maple Mountain defeated Bountiful 25-21, 25-23, 25-22 in the 5A championship, finishing the postseason with a set record of 12-0.
“They have a lot of trust in each other,” Maple Mountain head coach Jeff Wright said. “They've really bought into the idea of being a family. Sometimes they get down, but that's what families do, so they lift each other up. They refocus everything and when something goes wrong, they lift each other up. Let's put that away and get back to a positive attitude.”
Trey Thornton of the Golden Eagles consistently led in kills throughout the postseason, and the championship match was no exception. Thornton started the first set with seven kills, helping her win the first set 25-21.
It wasn't the cleanest match Maple Mountain played this weekend, but it was good enough to take the first set.
But things began to spiral for the Golden Eagles in the second set, when Bountiful took advantage of Maple Mountain's mistakes to take a 15-10 lead.
Despite trailing by five points, it was exactly the scenario Wright said the team has been practicing all season.
“We're practicing different scenarios, so in reality we're more likely to lose 20-22, 15-18 or 15-22,” Wright said. “We had that timeout and we said, 'We've done this a million times in practice, you guys have guts, we did this.'” The boys looked at each other and said, “We got this. ” That's how we got together. ”
Maple Mountain's Johan Stoops gained momentum with four kills in the second set, but Bountiful still held the lead until 23-21.
Maple Mountain then mounted a four-point rally, capped off by a block and a kill from Thornton, for a 25-23 set victory.
“We've been focusing on breathing and staying calm under pressure,” Thornton said. “So when I make the wrong pass, trusting my teammates that they're going to get it back. It's really about trusting the team to pick you up when you're tired. .”
“We've been practicing staying positive even when we're down, and we keep saying trust, and that's really important for a team. Are you trusting your middle to be on the block?” I give everything to my teammates, whether I believe I can win the set or not.”
The Golden Eagles led 16-14 midway through the third set and carried that momentum into the third set.
Thornton won each set, and although Thornton finished the match with a team-high 18 kills, Gavin Pricer and Manasseh Story provided some much-needed relief for the Golden Eagles with kills and blocks.
“(Trey) put a lot of pressure on him all week,” Wright said. “Last night we had dinner as a team and talked about it. Each of us has been under pressure for different reasons and we stood alone as a team and talked about it.
“They're brothers, so he understands that every guy is important, even though Trey is carrying that weight. Because when he gets that attention, it opens the door for other players. Because it will happen.”
Maple Mountain took a lead over Bountiful, winning the third set 25-22 and earning its first 5A crown.
“It's bittersweet (for the season to end), but I'm looking forward to it,” Wright said. “I think there will be many more years of great volleyball. Volleyball is a great sport and it builds a lot of character when you have to compete one game after another.”
