High school volleyball: State titles up for grabs

Piute volleyball coach Sherida Allen doesn't teach psychology at the high school, but maybe she ought to think about it.

The veteran coach's unorthodox technique to help her players understand they were capable of beating region-rival Panguitch at the Sevier Valley Tournament a week ago has given the team confidence and a top seed going into Friday's 1A state volleyball tournament at the McKay Event Center.

"During our last timeout I just said, 'You know what, you guys were right; I was wrong. Maybe they are better than us,"' Allen said after the T-Birds defeated Panguitch and ended up beating 2A's North Sevier for the bronze bracket championship. "Their mouths just dropped open. Then I put my hand in the air and said, 'OK, we're afraid on three.' No one put their hand up. Then I said, 'OK, we're losers on three."'

Then the players started to rebel.

Kandice Gleave, a sophomore outside hitter, said she put her hand behind her back and said, "I'm not saying that!"

Junior middle Amanda Bagley said it was just the jolt the team needed to win a tight match against an opponent they'd struggled to beat.

"It made us think," Bagley said. "It really did give us a reality check."

So effective was Allen's effort, the T-Birds went on to win the Region 15 championship. To earn the title, Piute had to defeat Panguitch a second time — it was the fourth time the two teams have met this season — in a thriller.

Bagley, Gleave and teammate Shelby Millett were named to the All-Tournament team, as were Panguitch's Shelby Taylor, Bobbie Burningham and Kalani Norris, Wayne's Krista Durvey and Jaimie Jackson, Escalante's Cheynne Cornforth and Bryce Valley's Deisha Twitchell. Panguitch is still ranked in the top five and will be a tough No. 2 for teams to face. Altamont, from Region 16, is also a tough second-seeded team and could surprise some teams. But Rich and Piute are this year's favorites for the final match.

Piute's players often sharpen their skills at camps held by Panguitch head coach Troy Norris each year.

"Troy is a good coach," said Allen. "I swear he could make a player out of dirt."

The wins over the defending 1A champions will no doubt give No. 2 Piute a lot of confidence going into Friday's state tournament. And any team hoping to challenge Rich for the title will need all the confidence they can muster as the Rebels are this season's favorite.