Hyde scheduled a tough lead-up to league play, including local 6A schools Syracuse and Layton, and the results reflected that, with a 0-5 log heading into region action on Tuesday.

But the Knights turned the page on the past, blanking Roy 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-15) in a Region 5 opener.

“I set up some pretty competitive teams. I wanted my girls to kind of get pushed to their absolute limits against really good teams,” Hyde said. “We started doing better, even though the scores didn’t show it.

“Even though we were losing, we were playing really good teams and it gave us confidence.”

The Knights were swept 3-0 in each of their first four outings, before narrowly falling to Ogden in five sets one week ago.

“(Ogden) was such a fun game. There was so much energy. We did lose, but I think that game was where we realized we could compete with good teams,” Hyde said. “We don’t want games where we roll over other teams; we want the competitive games where it’s an even match and we’re fighting for every single point.”

Yet, roll is what did happen against a good Roy team that was 3-1 coming into Tuesday.

“We’ve been off for a week since the Ogden game and have been able to go pretty hard the last couple of practices because we weren’t preparing for a game,” Hyde said. “So, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we grinded hard and put in the work. Even at yesterday’s practice, the pieces were starting to fall more into place.”

Northridge (1-5, 1-0 Region 5) led throughout the first set, rallied to a lead in the middle of the second, and again dominated the third, as in the first.

“We didn’t scout Roy; we just played the game on our side…doing what we know how; doing our job and trusting ourselves to finish,” Hyde said. “We’ve been preparing for region. There are some awesome teams in our region, and it’s great we have the confidence to know we think we can hang with them.”

Outside hitter Brooklyn Mayfield led the Knights with nine kills and junior middle Bianca Merrill added six daggers.

“In practice, my setter (Malia Miner) was trying to set me faster. We’ve been able to connect and it worked today,” Mayfield said. “We went for balls and communicated a lot more … covered each other; we did drills in practice, and it paid off.”

Libero Rachel Tucker served two aces for Northridge and Keeley McLeod had four blocks.

For Roy (3-2, 0-1), senior outside hitter Sarah Morgan filled the stat sheet with six kills, four aces and two blocks. Freshman middle Kayzli Wilberg registered four kills.

Mayfield is a third-year player as a junior for the Knights and Hyde is in her second year as head coach.

“(Hyde’s) very invested. She wants us to do our best and pushes us as hard as she can. She knows where we can be and wants us to get there,” Mayfield said. “The start of region is kind of a reset. It’s exciting to start the season off like this. We want to do good and go far.”

There is a lot of season to go, but Hyde sees progress, adding: “I think today they believed in themselves more than they had. They started to see what I see in them.”

SCORES, NO STATS REPORTED

Box Elder 3, Bonneville 1: 25-7, 22-25, 25-9, 25-17

Fremont 3, Clearfield 0: 28-26, 25-13, 25-19

Weber 3, Riverton 0: 25-11, 25-23, 25-16

Bear River 3, Logan 0: 25-14, 25-18, 25-12

Murray 3, Davis 0: 25-11, 25-19, 25-20

GIRLS SOCCER

BONNEVILLE 3, FREMONT 0

PLAIN CITY — Lily Atkinson kept a clean sheet and Bonneville picked up a shutout win at Fremont (1-7, 1-2 Region 5).

Phalastine Odeh scored a brace for Bonneville (7-1, 3-0). Marley Chournos netted once while Berkeley Stein and Addison Nicholls each tallied one assist.

SCORES, NO STATS REPORTED

Clearfield 3, Northridge 2

Weber 3, Lehi 2

Lone Peak 3, Syracuse 0

American Fork 3, Layton 1

Park City 6, Ogden 0

American Heritage 5, Ben Lomond 3

Mountain Crest 5, Bear River 0

Justin B. Johnson contributed to score reports.

Bob Judson has been covering high school sports for the Standard-Examiner for 51 years.