Boys volleyball playoffs: Confident Weber clips Fremont 3-1 for 6A first-round win
Warriors earn second-round seat with No. 1 Bingham on Friday
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- Weber High’s Miles Erickson celebrates during the first round of the 6A state boys volleyball playoffs versus Fremont on Monday, May 5, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Fremont’s Nathan Broadbent (6) sets the ball up during the first round of the 6A boys volleyball playoffs at Weber High on Monday, May 5, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Weber High’s Jake Ahlmer greets a teammate walking off the floor during the first round of the 6A state boys volleyball playoffs versus Fremont on Monday, May 5, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Fremont’s Manase Tuatagaloa (22) is jubilant during the first round of the 6A boys volleyball playoffs at Weber High on Monday, May 5, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Weber High’s Paxton Lighthall (left) stretches backward for a touch during the first round of the 6A state boys volleyball playoffs versus Fremont on Monday, May 5, 2025, in Pleasant View.
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- Fremont’s Carter Green jumps to spike the ball during the first round of the 6A boys volleyball playoffs at Weber High on Monday, May 5, 2025, in Pleasant View.
PLEASANT VIEW — A three-set rally defeating No. 17 Fremont in four sets kept the No. 16 Weber High boys volleyball team’s postseason ambitions alive Monday in the first round of the 6A state tournament.
Weber and top seed Bingham now clash in the second round Friday in Orem.
Dropping the opening set 25-21, Weber (12-12) balanced out its receiving for 46 total kills and three consecutive winning sets (25-16, 25-13, 25-14) in shutting down the Silverwolves (9-20) a third time this spring, including a 3-0 sweep at Plain City in last week’s regular-season finale.
Weber finished with a 4-6 mark for fourth place in Region 1. With a 3-4 finish to April, Weber received a familiar opponent, Fremont, on its first-round card. The Warriors’ locker room took the opportunity and ran with it, Erickson said.
“We know we could beat them again,” Erickson said. “We’ve played some really big games like that. We’ve played some big teams, like Timpview, and we came back and won just like that. When we’re behind, we’ll just come back and win.”
Dallin Hurd (16 digs), Bridger Smith (12 kills), Paxton Lighthall (11 kills), and Miles Erickson (nine kills) led the way up front. Weber coach Derek Bowles trusted his team to assess that first set, draw their own conclusions and make confident adjustments within the passing game.
“This whole season we’ve focused on mindset,” Bowles said. “A lot of the work that you do in practice: breathing, visualization, belief — that all catches up once you’re in the match. We just took that one, came together, took a breath, refocused and caught the momentum.
“Our service pressure became really important. We had multiple three-, four-point runs and that really was the difference.”
Of Weber’s first-set miscues, Erickson said such errors are “100% mental” and that, this late in the season, the best teams are connected enough to correct them on the fly.
“I think it was our passing after the first set,” Erickson said. “The first set was a little rough, but after that I think our passes are definitely what made our (offense). … I think the best part is just being all together. We’re all good friends, so we’ll know that we can do it together.”
Despite maintaining an early lead in the second set, Fremont hardly replicated the momentum of its opening victory and fell prey to a growingly aggressive Weber run.
Jake Ahlmer led the Warriors in a 10-3 start to the fourth set and the Silverwolves’ season came to an end with an 11-point loss in the first round’s decisive frame. Fremont junior Lucas Eyre acknowledged his side lost the fire after landing the first punch of the afternoon.
“I thought it was pretty cool to get them a third time and have another chance to beat them,” Eyre said. “I think I could feel our fire a little bit, especially in that first set.”
Saluting his seven seniors, Eyre said an early exit from the 6A table doesn’t take away from the strides made under Analaine Mailoto in her second season as head coach. Fremont underwent deep roster changes with the opening of West Field this past fall.
“She’s been an amazing coach and supportive of everybody,” Eyre said. “She’s tough when she needs to be tough. We’re connected that way to give us more.”
But for Weber, Monday’s result means a heavy test against 21-win Bingham. Friday’s second-round matches are slated for a 9 a.m. start at UVU’s UCCU Center.
“We hope they look past us,” Bowles said. “We hope they come in thinking this is an easy win. Our record doesn’t indicate how good of a team we are, so we’re hopeful that they’re looking a little past us, we play a great match and we just shock.”
SCORES, NO STATS REPORTED
6A first round: No 15 American Fork 3, No. 18 Layton 0 (25-23, 25-7, 26-24)
Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
