OREM — The stumbling block for the Syracuse High volleyball team from 2017-2020 has been the quarterfinal rounds of the state tournament.

Not this year.

The No. 2 Titans (25-2) got past the normal roadblock, winning their 6A state tournament second-round and quarterfinal matches Thursday at Utah Valley University to advance to Saturday’s semifinal against No. 3 Lone Peak.

“It’s awesome, the kids — I know it’s been that hurdle that we’ve tried to get over and we’ve talked about it,” Syracuse coach Corrie Vigil said. “It was nice, it’s a good feeling. Finally. And these girls deserve it.”

Syracuse swept Farmington 3-0 (25-14, 25-17, 25-17) in the second round and then swept Riverton 3-0 in the quarterfinals.

“This match we had great defense with our blocking. We had lots of great touches on the ball, so our middles really stepped up today and made a difference for us,” Vigil said about beating Riverton.

Syracuse started slow against Riverton, falling behind 10-6. Pretty soon, the Titans were up 15-10 and comfortably won all three sets against the Silverwolves 25-19, 25-17 and 25-13. In both matches, they were without starting libero Kambree Rodriguez, who could return to the lineup Saturday.

Against Farmington senior setter Hailee Garcia broke the state’s all-time record for career assists, prompting a celebration in the stands from fans who brought two large banners.

“Hailee spreads the ball really well and she was able to get the middles and we were able to move it around,” Vigil said about the Riverton match.

Lone Peak is one of two teams to beat Syracuse all season. Vigil said the Titans have to be consistent, have balance on offense and play good defense in order to beat the Knights.

LONE PEAK 3, FREMONT 1

Fremont’s main bracket tournament run ended against Lone Peak, though in 2021 it was in the quarterfinals instead of the semifinals. The No. 6 Silverwolves’ (18-11) match against the No. 3 Knights on Thursday night was much closer than the score indicated, however.

“That was the most together and as a family that they’ve played all year. I’m super proud of them for that match, it’s just little points that didn’t go our way,” Fremont coach Jantzen Smith said.

Fremont had leads in the middle of both the second and third sets. LP came back each time. In the second set, it was a 14-10 Fremont lead and then a 16-15 LP lead. In the third, the Silverwolves led 12-8 and then were tied 16-16.

Lone Peak had multiple match points leading 24-22 in the third set and had control of the point until an errant ball from the adjacent Clearfield-Davis match landed on the court and forced a replay.

Fremont won that point and the next one to tie it up 24-24, then won the next two to win the set with Maggie Mendelson getting a clean block on set point.

“We were right there and they battled to the very end,” Smith said.

Patrick Carr, Standard-Examiner From left to right, Fremont volleyball players Ayva Cebollero and Kayley Parrish jump up for a block during the 6A state volleyball tournament Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 at Utah Valley University.

The fourth set was close early and the Silverwolves’ team demeanor was looser and more relaxed than Lone Peak’s, but the Knights got on a roll, took a lead and eventually closed out the set.

Fremont had swept Clearfield earlier Thursday evening after splitting the regular-season series with the Falcons. Fremont plays at 11:30 a.m. Friday in the fifth-place bracket against Riverton.

The last two weeks have been hectic for the Fremont volleyball team, as Smith, a Fremont alumnus who’s going to college right now in hopes of becoming a teacher, took over coaching duties the weekend before the team’s Senior Night.

“I was stressed that weekend, then on Monday we had a big talk and basically just said, hey the last 11 weeks we’ve got to move on from. The two-week season starts now,” Smith said. “That Monday practice they absolutely killed it and I wasn’t nervous at all.”

CONSOLATION RESULTS

No. 17 Weber took sixth place after giving No. 1 Copper Hills a scare Thursday but falling in four sets, then defeated No. 8 West Jordan in four sets in the consolation bracket.

Friday, Weber defeated No. 12 Corner Canyon in a tight match (25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 25-23) and advanced in the consolation bracket to the sixth-place game against No. 18 Farmington.

Thursday, Farmington topped No. 7 Hunter in a five-set thriller and No. 11 Clearfield swept No. 14 Davis. That matched Farmington against Clearfield as consolation play continued Friday, and the Phoenix won in four sets, advancing to play Weber at 1 p.m. Friday.

Weber then defeated Farmington to end Friday’s action to place sixth.

No. 6 seed finished in seventh place after splitting Friday’s consolation action, sweeping No. 10 Riverton before losing 3-1 to No. 5 Skyridge.

Newsletter