Union needs 5 games to defeat Bulldogs

Christine Morrill can face family get-togethers with a big, fat grin thanks to her smart play and the tenacity her teammates showed in their come-from-behind win against Judge on Thursday.

"That was so fun," she said after the Cougars defeated Judge 20-25, 25-27, 25-19, 25-21, 15-10.

Helping her team to its second region win was only part of the satisfaction as her sister, Jackie Morrill Peterson, a former libero for the University of Utah, is an assistant coach for the Bulldogs. The senior, who has committed to play libero at Utah State next season, said she and her sister do a little trash talking about their new rivalry.

"We just give each other little looks during the game," Morrill said. The new-found rivalry may be more fun for the younger sister than the older, she said.

"It's kind of tough," Morrill said. "She wants to cheer for me, but she can't. And she wants her team to do well."

So the sisters give each other a few good-natured digs, and since the Bulldogs beat the Cougars the first time the two squads met, Thursday's win evens the score a little.

"If we wouldn't have won that game, I don't think we would have been able to make it to state," Morrill said. "It would have been tough."

The Cougars looked like they might run away with Game 1, but the Bulldogs battled back with momentum that carried them halfway through Game 2. Then it was Union's turn to play catch-up. Judge held on to win the second game behind the solid hitting of Sekola Falemaka and the blocking of Micaela Lawless and Tina Fakahafua. Freshman setter Kallie McKown did a great job distributing the ball, which made Judge's offense more effective.

Union had to fight off several Bulldog runs, but the Cougars controlled the third and fourth games behind the solid hitting of Jill Hicken, Breanna Todd and Morrill, and Union made the Bulldogs earn Game 2.

Union coach Kim Murray said she's grown accustomed to five-game marathons with her squad this season.

"It's not the first time," she said with a smile. "With them it's never over. As the season has gone on, the team has gotten better and better about not getting down, not getting on each other and working as a team to finish games. We've watched a lot of videos and stayed positive."

Murray hopes the team has learned mental toughness from coming back so often. She does think it's helped them stay focused on the task at hand.

"We just try to play one point at a time," she said.