Bengals claim state crown

OREM — Three years of disappointing state tournament finishes left the Bengals with an amazingly bad taste in their mouths.

Lucky for them, coach Jeremiah Larsen had an even more powerful mouthwash — an offense that stymied any and all defenses it faced this season. The centerpiece of that offense was senior outside hitter Krista Kelley, who led her team to a sweep of Lone Peak in the state championship game Saturday night at UVSC with 19 kills.

"We've been waiting for this for three years," said Kelley after Brighton earned its first state title in volleyball in school history with a 25-12, 25-20, 25-19 victory.

Added junior setter Missy White, "It's been our whole goal since that year (three years ago when they lost in the finals to Viewmont)."

And then Kelley finishes, "We worked extra hard to make sure we got it."

White kept the Knights off balance by moving the sets and involving the entire Bengal squad, and in the process, she earned 41 assists. Opposite hitter Cassandra Ricketts added 10 kills and Kelsey Price earned five kills in the win. Libero Leigha Dangerfield provided the team with key defensive pickups on the rare occasion the Bengals couldn't block the hits of their opponents.

"It's a little surreal," said Larsen of the title, which comes in his fourth year as coach. "I'm most happy for these girls. This was their goal and they finally attained it."

He said it was his job to make the Bengals believe any opponent could beat the team, which has five future Division I players on the roster.

"It's always in doubt," he said with a smile. "Last year we were breaking in a new offense, and this year we're finally grasping it. We also ran into an insanely good volleyball team in Pleasant Grove last year. I think we finally just learned how to work hard."

This year's Brighton team emanated a confidence that they didn't have previously. The team's former coach, who still has two daughters on the team, believes it was the role players who helped the team's stars shine.

"You can't win without great outsides," said Kathy Mendenhall, who coached the team for five years before Larsen. She helped him get the job, and they embraced in a tearful hug after the win. "But you also have to have the kids who are not in the spotlight all year who play well and make the difference ... I can't say enough about Jeremiah, for as young as he is, he really knows how to get a team polished. He did a fantastic job."

White said the difference was that this year's players worried about taking care of each other instead of themselves.

"It wasn't about individuals," she said. "It was the team." And Kelley adds without hesitating, "That's the beauty of our team."

How good is this year's Brighton squad?