Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
OREM — Men's volleyball has long been dubbed the NCAA's best-kept secret, and now it's invaded the state of Utah.
Deep-rooted rivalries are being turned up one more notch with its addition to the high school level for boys. Many players, like Maple Mountain opposite hitter Trey Thornton, have already been dubbed by their coaches as the best at their positions in the entire state.
And fans, parents, and players, are learning about, or are being exposed to, the game for the first time.
Building a team
It isn't coming without its hiccups. Some teams, like West Jordan, had to overcome some communication errors to pull out a four-set win in its home opener, something coach Owen Sosi said was about "getting back to fundamentals."
Others, like Maple Mountain and Orem, who went toe-to-toe in a four-set duel earlier this season, are looking primed for a deep playoff run, with Orem coach Bill Sefita calling matches "tests to see if what we're doing in practice is effective."
One of the more effective players in the state right now is Maple Mountain's Thornton, who has been seemingly everywhere opposing teams don't want him to be this season, leading his head coach Geoff Wright to call him one of the best in the state.
"Even as an opposite, you still have to be an all-around player, both offensively and defensively," Thornton said. "It's not just about aiming for the high hands or avoiding the block."
Being an all-around player in volleyball fits, however, since the game itself comes down to serving and passing. The Mountain Crest Mustangs certainly have one of the best passing duos in 4A this season, with setter Reece Coleman leading the charge on offense and libero Peyton Haviland guarding the floor on defense.
"If you're not touching the ball every play, you're at least yelling as loud as you can to get help," Coleman said. "You have to stay locked in and focus on the future as a setter."
For some other teams, like Judge Memorial, the challenge comes from just finding all-around players in general. Head coach Adam Warden, entering his seventh year overall coaching Bulldog volleyball, is trying to replace 11 seniors from last season, which he said was just one of many challenges in elevating his squad to competition level.
A lot of players are also learning the game for the first time, like American Fork's Jared Shepherd, who said "he knows everything about basketball," which he certainly does as a scorer for Ryan Cuff and the boys basketball team.
"I've played beach volleyball before, but it's still the first time for me to play volleyball at all," he said, laughing.
Bringing the energy
Though Warden, like many other coaches, experiences these challenges, he said he's known most of the team since they were in eighth grade — and they certainly aren't short on energy.
One of them is middle blocker Rourke Jensen, who has been the embodiment of that energy both on and off the court for Judge; he's heard screaming encouragement to his teammates at any given moment.
"It's a great group of guys," Jensen said of his teammates. "We all have that same energy and mentality that we want to win."
Picking captains who will be vocal like Jensen have more weight this season, but Mountain Crest head coach Caden Finley said Coleman and Haviland have been doing that and then some for the Mustangs.
"Coach Finley always says energy wins games," Haviland said. "It's really important to be positive and help your teammates out if they make mistakes."
And fans are feeling that energy, even extending over into longstanding rivalries such as Thursday's Lone Peak-American Fork match. With BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead looking on, the two teams' first-ever meeting in boys volleyball produced a five-set thriller with the Knights rallying from a match point down to prevail 17-15 in the final set over their longtime nemesis.
"This sport has needed energy like this for a long time," Cavemen head coach Shantell Shoell said. "These boys deserve to have this; it's been a long time coming."
Building for the future
And many say it's just the beginning. Lone Peak head coach Cecil Read said in five years, he expects the younger kids who were in the stands at Thursday's match to "lap the kids on the court".
"Volleyball's a sport that has a lot of interest," West Jordan principal Mike Hutchins said. "I think you're going to see it grow into one of the major sports in the state."
Lone Peak freshman outside hitter Brady Holt is one of those rising stars that could lead the way, especially under pressure, which he says "pushes me every time to want to win; that's when I play at my best".
"The talent is there," Maple Mountain head coach Geoff Wright said. "The clubs have already done great; now you're just transitioning to complement those clubs with a high school sport."
If there's any indication that Wright and many other players and coaches' point will be proved, all you had to do was see the scenes after Lone Peak's thrilling win over American Fork Thursday.
"It's all going upward," Shepherd said. "Volleyball's going to become more well-known; it's going to be awesome."
