Lia Brown hit seven kills in eight attempts for a .875 percentage, Allie Allred had a .750 percentage with six kills in eight tries, while Tori Hunter was a perfect 6 of 6 for a 1.000 mark.

In addition to her performance at the net, Allred also had 16 assists, as she and Brown switched positions for the Knights.

“Allie is not usually our setter; we were down a player on the outside today, so we moved our other setter there and she filled in and did an awesome job,” Northridge coach Kait Hyde said.

Northridge maintained its hold on second place in Region 5 with a straight set, 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-18) victory over the Falcons, sweeping the season series.

“I’ve done it a few games when we’ve felt we needed something different; today I stepped in and played a big role on the team and helped lead to our success,” Allred said. “Number 6 (Lia Brown) is our normal setter and she was playing outside today.

“We have really big hitters, so we were able to capitalize on our swings and our attacks because (Clearfield) wasn’t as strong on defense,” Allred said.

The Knights (15-11, 7-3 Region 5) and Falcons (12-12, 3-6) played a five-set thriller last month and Hyde was impressed with her team’s growth by Tuesday’s match.

“Eliminating our errors is the big thing we needed to do from the last time, and keeping our energy up,” Hyde said. “I think the more time girls get to play and practice together, the better the chemistry. My girls have had more time to bond, and here we are.”

After a tight first set that was tied or the lead changed hands 11 times, the Knights found their footing in set two.

“Confidence for sure, and getting a little bit more aggressive on our serves. That made a big difference for them,” Hyde said.

Miley Romney had a streak of five straight service points and another round of four consecutive scores for the Knights in that second stanza.

Clearfield made a bid to extend the match, leading 13-10 in the third set, before Northridge went on a 10-1 run and closed it on an Allred serve.

Hyde didn’t call a timeout with her team down, letting them weather the storm on their own.

“They did a really good job of not giving up. Sometimes they just need a pass; they get one and come together and figure it out themselves,” Hyde said. “They know exactly what I’m going to say, and they say it to each other.”

Allred pulled back the curtain on what that message might be.

“Keeping it simple and going back to the fundamentals; just bump, set, hit and hope we can conquer,” Allred said.

A 6-foot-1 sophomore, Allred knew what to do to help the Knights prevail.

“I was able to put the ball where it needed to go and find the best option for our offense for them to score,” Allred said. “I made good decisions and they put the ball away when I gave it to them.

“It feels great; we went five with (Clearfield) last time. It was a close game, so it’s fun to beat them fast,” Allred said. “Not letting them get on runs and taking advantage on our side of the court.”

Fremont (23-2, 9-0) now nears a Region 5 championship, up three with three dates left. At 7-3, Northridge only has two matches left while Box Elder and West Field are 6-3.

“We’re hoping these last few games go well for us and that we’ll stay where we’re at,” Hyde said.