Region 9 volleyball: Regular season complete, 4 teams prepare for state

Written by Darren Cole
October 23, 2015
Coach Alaina Parker poses with former and current players during her last home match at Snow Canyon, Snow Canyon vs. Dixie, Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Oct. 22, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – Region 9 wrapped up play Thursday night with Snow Canyon and Desert Hills distancing them further from the middle of the standings. Pine View and Dixie sit squarely tied in third place.

Snow Canyon 3 Dixie 0

The Warriors completed region play undefeated. SC and the Flyers played Thursday in recognition of Abigail Castro and Lynette Wilson-Beck, two women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in the last year.

snow-canyon-logodixie-smIn addition to that, it was Snow Canyon Coach Alaina Parker’s last regular season game with her retirement from coaching impending at the end of the year. On top of that, it was also the last season game for seniors on both squads.

Dixie's Katie Fisher (25) and Snow Canyon's Shaylee Reed (12), Snow Canyon vs. Dixie, Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Oct. 22, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Dixie’s Katie Fisher (25) and Snow Canyon’s Shaylee Reed (12), Snow Canyon vs. Dixie, Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Oct. 22, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Neither team disappointed in its play. You could not tell Snow Canyon had dominated this season by the first game. Dixie matched each Warrior run with a run of its own. The teams were tied at 17 when Crash Parker served the Warriors to four straight points. After a side out, Katie Fisher reciprocated with service points of her own to knot the teams once again at 21-21. They were unable to maintain the momentum however, as Snow Canyon closed out the game on a 4-2 run, 25-23.

In the second set, the Warriors broke open a close game with an 11-2 rally midway through en route to a 25-13 win. The third set started out all Dixie as the Flyers opened up a 5-0 lead behind Hannah Nyberg’s service. The Flyers would maintain a lead until Snow Canyon closed to tie the game 13-13. Then the Warriors pulled away late to win 25-18.

“Every time they would make a run and close the gap on us we were able to rally,” said Crash Parker. “I think the seniors have had a calming influence on the younger players.”

Individually, Crash Parker led all players with 24 kills and 12 digs. Shaylee Reed had 18 assists and 10 digs. Camry Johnson had 15 assists.

At the end of the night, both coaches had plenty to say about each of their graduating seniors.

“Libero Hannah Nyberg is a spit fire. She will do anything I ask her,” said Dixie Coach Stacey Leavitt. “Katie Fisher is a power hitter and has been a good leader. Brooklyn Blanchard plays incredible defense. Brianna Duke is versatile and can play many positions. Abracia Payton is the most unselfish player on the court. Her leadership never goes unnoticed. Keisha Jones is also a great defensive player and the most positive person on the team.”

Snow Canyon's Nikenna Durante (9), Snow Canyon vs. Dixie, Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Oct. 22, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News
Snow Canyon’s Nikenna Durante (9), Snow Canyon vs. Dixie, Volleyball, St. George, Utah, Oct. 22, 2015, | Photo by Robert Hoppie, ASPpix.com, St. George News

Talking about her last season game with her seniors Coach Parker said, “Crash Parker has grown up in the gym. She turned three the summer we moved here, and all she could think of was putting on that Warrior jersey. Nikenna Durante, Shaylee Reed and Sydnie Hoskins all caught the volleyball bug in the fifth grade. Durante is versatile, a feisty athlete and a great leader. Reed is the energizer bunny. She hustles and makes things happen. Hoskins has been injured but has battled back to be a key contributor late in the season. Jordan Plattner moved in this year but has worked her way into the goup. These seniors not only lead on the court but in school as well.”

Coach Parker finished the season with an all-time record of 356-84 for an incredible 81 percent winning percentage. Both teams qualify for state playoffs. Seedings and game times will be announced later this week.

Desert Hills 3, Pine View 1

The Thunder closed out visiting Pine View in four sets, 25-19, 25-15, 12-25, 25-11. Individually for Pine View, Cassidy Murdock had 19 assists and five digs. Cierra Costa led the team with six kills and three service aces. Natasha Fiame and Cydnee McGuire had eight and six digs, respectively.

For Desert Hills, Rachel Winters led with 26 kills and 14 digs. Hailee Tanner had 41 assists. Madison Clark led the team with six blocks. Tierra Orr led the team with 26 digs.

Both teams qualify for state playoffs. Seedings and game times will be announced later this week.

Final Region 9 Standings
1. Snow Canyon 10-0 (14-2 overall)
2. Desert Hills 8-2 (11-3)
3t. Pine View 5-5 (18-12)
3t. Dixie 5-5 (10-11)
5t. Hurricane 1-9 (2-13)
5t. Cedar 1-9 (9-12)

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @oldschoolag

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darren Cole recently returned to sportswriting after a 20-plus year hiatus. While pursuing other studies, he developed an early passion for sports writing as a senior writer and sports editor for the Ricks College Scroll in 1988-89. Darren has spent the last 20 years writing legal memorandi and appellate briefs. In addition to his legal career, he has also taught legal and criminal justice courses at the university level for nine years as an adjunct professor. Darren is married to wife Lisa, has two sons and is a confessed sports junkie.

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