Coming off a four-set loss at North Summit last week, the Park City High School volleyball team needed to rebound in a big way on Thursday night in its Region 10 opener against rival Juan Diego.
That’s exactly what the Miners did, earning a three-set victory against the Soaring Eagle, 25-19, 25-15, 25-22.
Each set was different for Park City, who jumped out to an early 12-4 lead in set one before allowing Juan Diego to close the gap. The Miners then ceded a 7-3 lead to the Soaring Eagle in the second set before storming back for the win. In the third set, both teams battled hard all the way through before Park City finally put the game, and the match, away.
Park City coach Ashley Driscoll said each set showed the character and versatility of the Miners.
“I think it shows we can fight through anything,” she said. “Even the sets we don’t necessarily start out strong, the girls recognize what they’re doing and what they can change. They change it and they come back strong.”
Tressa Buckland led the way for the Miners, notching nine kills and four service aces in the match. Sammee Thomas also had a solid night, picking up 18 assists and eight digs to lead Park City in both categories. Chrissy Glasmann added eight kills and Sam Tan chipped in with 11 assists in the victory.
But, Driscoll added, everyone who saw time on the court on Thursday night did something to contribute to the win.
“I think, overall, the team just played really well together,” she said. “We ran some plays tonight that we’ve been working on and I think they connected better than they have. Our defense was on and our servers were strong.”
The energetic atmosphere at PCHS on Thursday night didn’t hurt, either.
“This was a great start to region play for us,” Driscoll said. “We had a great crowd the girls were pumped up. It’s homecoming week and we had all the energy and all the excitement was there. The girls have been working hard all season for this region start and I think it showed.”
Getting the win over Juan Diego makes the 1-0 Region 10 record even sweeter for Park City.
“They’re a really strong team this year,” Driscoll said of the Soaring Eagle. “We’ve seen them once before in the St. George Tournament [a match Park City won in straight sets], so we adjusted our practice this week to what we knew we were going to see and the girls adjusted to it well. I’m proud of them.”
Moving forward, Driscoll said there’s still some work to do before Park City can officially label itself the team to beat in Region 10.
“Serve and serve receive are always at the top of our list of things to work on,” she said. “We’ll also continue to work on those plays. Our defense was super strong, like I said, but I think our blocking can get stronger. We have a huge front row and I want to see more blocking.”
The Miners return to the court on Tuesday at Uintah. Driscoll said she’s not exactly sure what to expect from the Utes.
“They’re the one team that we don’t really know anything about, actually,” she said. “We know they always have a strong crowd and they always are ready to fight for it. It should be a fun match.”
Park City will return home on Thursday, Sept. 25, to take on the Union Cougars. The varsity match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.