4A boys volleyball: Pine View stuns Orem in 5-set thriller

OREM — As his staff rushed the ground in jubilation, an emotional Pine View coach Josh Warner merely bowed his head, squatted down, slapped his chair, and laughed.

The little college from St. George is not so little anymore.

Rallying from down two units to at least one within the match, the No. 3 seeded Panthers did the unthinkable of their five-set upset of No. 1 Orem within the 4A championship Saturday evening on the UCCU Heart, successful 25-22, 21-25, 14-25, 25-18, and 17-15.

Pine View, who had been crushed in a two-set sweep by the just about unstoppable Tigers earlier within the season, in some way withstood the whole lot Orem threw at them. They had been piloted by setter Isaiah Warner, who constantly dished out performs for reverse Spencer Blackmore and outdoors hitter Kody Campbell all evening lengthy.

Nevertheless it was their protection that did the soiled work on this evening; libero Brock Swenson anchored a stingy again line that performed its greatest match of the yr within the match that mattered probably the most.

“We are saying if you aren’t getting a physique on the ground and that ball drops, you are operating or doing push-ups,” Isaiah Warner mentioned. “Coach Warner holds us to a excessive normal, and you may inform due to how we play.”

The Panthers definitely confirmed they meant enterprise early on within the match as they went toe-to-toe with the Tigers in a back-and-forth first two units that had been solely determined by a late surge of factors from either side.

However the whole lot got here unglued within the third set. Orem confirmed why they had been the heavy favorites in taking management early, racing out to an 8-1 lead earlier than it ballooned to as many as 12 factors as they cruised to the third-set win.

It was at that time Josh Warner needed to pull his setter apart “as a result of he was rattled; I needed to inform him to simply do your job and let your hitters do theirs.”

Regardless of the precise verbiage, it labored as a result of Pine View responded by constructing an 18-12 lead within the fourth set; and regardless of a late push from the Tigers, the Panthers had been in a position to pressure a fifth set.

“Josh simply had religion in me,” Isaiah Warner mentioned. “I actually recognize what he mentioned to me; having religion in somebody is a big deal to him.”

The religion carried over to the gamers, as nicely. After a tricky begin in serve obtain, Swenson mentioned Campbell, Warner, and Blackmore had been in a position to instill confidence in him, including he is thought of them as position fashions for him this season.

Perhaps it suits, then, when the Tigers rallied to tie the fifth set at 12-12, nobody on the Pine View aspect appeared panicked. As an alternative, the Panthers went punch for punch, lastly ending the marathon on an Orem web violation after the Tigers saved 4 championship factors.

“What we have constructed has taken a very long time,” Josh Warner mentioned. “We do not get all of the sources everybody else will get, so it means rather a lot to this college.”

Isaiah Warner quoted his boys basketball coach, Patrick Amico, in including, “those that are on the yellow college buses know what failure is like with a purpose to develop into a hit.”

“We knew we needed to come out swinging,” Swenson mentioned. “It has been such an incredible expertise.”

And now that have ends with the Pine View Panthers carrying a trophy residence on the four-hour experience to St. George — the place it is possible the get together will not cease anytime quickly.

“Two and half weeks in the past, we performed our worst match of the yr, however we determined to get harder,” Josh Warner mentioned. “The work we have executed and the work the gamers have put in have paid off. I am so grateful they listened to us.”