Bruins rise above Payson in Region 7

PAYSON — The unbeatens went to war in Region 7 volleyball Tuesday when Mountain View invaded the Lions' den and stole a three-game victory, 25-23, 25-19, 25-14.

Both Payson and the Bruins were tied atop the league standings with identical 3-0 records, but it's Mountain View that is now in the driver's seat in Region 7 with the league's only undefeated 4-0 record.

Meanwhile, the Lions are 3-1 but are still happy with their solid start. Both teams are heading into matches with Orem and Springville in the next week.

"You have to come ready to play every night in this region," said Mountain View coach Jon Fairbanks of the league that features five evenly matched squads. Anything can happen when these teams meet.

And Game 1 was proof positive that both of these teams came into this match ready to win. Payson ran out to the early lead, but Mountain View came roaring back, eventually taking a 15-10 lead midway through the game. The Bruins weren't able to hang on to the large advantage, however, as Payson hung tough and came back to bring things within 24-23 before the Bruins' Macy Merrell put one away on game point.

Merrell finished the contest with 11 kills and three aces, but the Mountain View leader had plenty of help along the way from her teammates, especially from the service line.

Setter Rachel Glassford dominated on the serve, dishing up five aces on the night in addition to setting a masterful game and dropping six kills across the net.

Amy Conrad added three aces, all in the final game, as the Bruins met their goals when it came to the serve.

"One of our goals is to serve tough, and our serves really came through tonight," said Fairbanks, who noted his team usually serves over 90 percent.

He added that one of the reasons the Bruins finished the match up a little stronger than they started it was the serving prowess his team mustered in the final two games. But he also gave credit to the team across the net.

"They played very well that first game, but my girls adjusted," he said. "They learned to score points and get side-outs in other ways. It's nice to have a team that can adjust on the fly."

Fairbanks was also pleased with the play of freshman Jennica Redd, who has only played a couple of matches on the front row and finished with five kills Tuesday. She came on especially strong in the final game.

Game 2 was much like the first until the Bruins found themselves up 20-18, then Mountain View came on strong to score five of the final six points and win going away. But the Bruins had a little help from four Payson hitting errors.

The Lions were led by a balanced attack from Miranda Bradshaw, Brooke Hiatt and Katherin Caldwell, who combined for 15 kills.

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