Lone Peak enters the game ranked No. 1 in Region 3, having lost only one game in region play so far in Utah's first season of boys volleyball.
Westlake tied for second place with Pleasant Grove, the only team to previously beat the Knights.
Westlake head coach Whitney Randall knew this was going to be a tough game for her team, but she asked her team to stay focused and control what they can.
she said: “With a good team like that, we have to understand that they won't give us anything. Therefore, we have to minimize mistakes.”
Westlake got off to a great start, hitting four aces to win the first set. Two of those were by freshman Rigden Hansen, who finished with three, and two by great sophomore Kirika Tafa.
The Thunder continued to stay on track in the second set, taking an early 10-5 lead. However, Lone Peak did not give up easily and quickly made a comeback in the second half of the set to take the lead.
A big block from Tafa, who averaged 1.7 shots per game, tied the game at 24 points. Lone Peak's hitting error gave Westlake a match point, and setter Keegan Cundiff's ace gave Westlake two points. -0 lead.
Lone Peak didn't back down again and dominated the third set, regaining momentum with aces from Freddie Dayton and team captain Easton Reed.
The Knights' luck continued in the fourth set. They won 25-22, making it an even match with two sets each.
Both teams knew the fifth set was going to be a big one, and Lone Peak appeared to have all the momentum on their side.
Coach Randall said, “What we really focused on, especially in the fifth, was we really wanted to limit their serve run. And the second thing we really wanted to do was control. It's about controlling what's possible. We can control the energy we bring, and we can control the adjustments we make.”
Westlake did just that, leading for almost the entire set. The victory was clinched by a ton of kills from Tafa and Landon Doler, who ranks second on the team in kills.
It was an emotional win for Westlake.
Randall said, “They're a fun team to play. A lot of our players know each other and have a good relationship.” That camaraderie shows on the court, too, with players constantly talking and having a good relationship. There was an exciting energy in the gym.
Westlake will play its final regular season game on Monday against American Fork, which they defeated just two weeks ago.
Lone Peak confronts Skyridge. They beat the Falcons 3-1 earlier this season.