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OREM – Skyline entered the 5A state championship with a 29-2 record; and in those 29 wins, Skyline had lost a total of five sets.
Their test in the 5A final was a team that has not lost a set since Oct. 12, setting up a thrilling state final.
After a dominant 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-20, 25-18), Skyline emerged as champions — the first time in 22 years — and the first championship in nine tries for head coach Mondo Begay.
"I have been coaching for a long time. I am really emotional because the kids have worked so hard. We did 6 a.m. practices, busted our butts, and we are really deep," Begay said after the win. "We are excited for the future of what we are going to do."
Isa Taylor finished with 19 kills and 11 assists in the effort, showing off her arm — both in power and finesse.
"We did a really good job of controlling our side and not controlling what we couldn't. We played with the same intensity," Taylor said. "The message was you get what you put in. We were so ready for this."
The Eagles came out swinging, opening the first set with an 18-9 lead, where Taylor had nine kills and her counterpart Nafanua Alofipo had eight. While the Redhawks made a slight comeback, the Eagles finished them off with a 25-15 victory.
In the second set, Bountiful remained in the lead for the majority of the set, looking to tie things up with a 17-15 lead; however, a 6-1 run for Skyline soared the Eagles ahead and finished the set on a 10-3 run to take a crucial 2-0 lead.
The third set was more of the same for the Eagles, opening on a 9-4 run that swelled to an 18-13 lead. Thanks to critical attack errors by the Redhawks, Skyline was able to cruise to a three-set sweep over No. 1 Bountiful.
Begay was quick to credit his coaching staff.
"Lance, Addie, and Celeste have put in hard work," she said. "They did the work and many times we don't give credit to coaches."
The back-to-back hunt is on for Skyline while Bountiful will look to regroup after losing what Begay called the "best female volleyball player in the state" in Taylor Harvey.
