Losses to top-five opponents bring San Juan volleyball season to a close at 2A Utah State Tournament

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The San Juan High School volleyball team entered the 2A Utah State Tournament as the #9 seed and they knew they would have to overcome a challenging road if they were to be 2024 state champions.
The Lady Broncos accomplished task one on October 26 when they defeated #25 Waterford in the SJHS gymnasium, earning a birth in the remainder of the tournament at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield.
The girls checked off another task this past Friday, November 1 when they swept #8 St. Joseph in the second round. San Juan excelled in a match that was supposed to be an even battle, winning fairly easily 25-12, 25-17, and 25-21.
With the win the Lady Broncos moved into the state quarterfinals for their toughest matchup of the season against eventual state champion and top-ranked North Sevier.
It’s no fluke the Lady Wolves were the #1 team in the 2A classification this year, and they were truly a handful on the court. In the semifinal matchup they jumped out to an early lead against San Juan and never let off the gas.
The Lady Broncos were ultimately unable to establish momentum, falling in the first set 25-9. That set the tone for the remainder of the match as North Sevier went on to win the next sets 25-17 and 25-16.
The scores don’t indicate the battle San Juan put forth. The Lady Broncos deserve much credit for how hard they fought against a team that lost just one set during the entire tournament.
Unfortunately losing a game at any time during the tournament eliminates a team from state title contention, and it’s difficult to motivate when you’re only playing for fifth or sixth place.
In the fifth place semifinals on November 2 San Juan came up against an opponent almost as tough as they faced the previous day – the #5 Enterprise Lady Wolves. It was the first meeting between the two familiar foes this season and it didn’t disappoint.
The Lady Broncos outlasted the Lady Wolves with a strong finish to take the opening set 25-20. But from that point Enterprise dug deep to rally. San Juan dug deep also and the teams went point-for-point for the remainder of the match.
Enterprise eked out 25-21 victories in both of the remaining sets in the best-of-three, breaking the Lady Broncos’ hearts and bringing an end to their season.
San Juan never gave up and fought to the end, finishing their season with a 19-13 overall record. It’s their best record since 2019 when they went 28-6.
The Lady Broncos were truly a team this year, made up entirely of non-seniors. Eight juniors worked side-by-side like a well-oiled machine, contributing equally to their success all season long.
On the offensive side, Morgann McPherson led the way with 358 kills (11.2 per match), which was fifth in the 2A classification and 17th in the state with the 1A-4A seasons in the books.
Miley Harrison was second on the team with 165 kills. Lizzie Palmer had 127, Keezie Flannery had 106, Madden Perkins collected 101, and Madi Adams had 91.
Flannery helped the offense score all those points. Her 740 assists (23.1 per match) was sixth in the 2A and 20th in the state. Averie Gilson had 66 helpers, McPherson had 32, and Keegan Palmer had 21.
Flannery also maintained a solid 91.6 serve percentage and led the team with 62 aces on the year. Gilson had 57 aces and served 88.2 percent. Keegan Palmer served up 42 aces and was second on the team with a percentage of 89.6.
McPherson collected 31 aces and served 83.5 percent. Harrison had 29 aces and served 88.4 percent. And Perkins served 21 aces and 89.4 percent.
On the defensive side, Gilson led the team with 321 digs (10.4 per match), McPherson had 316, Flannery 214, Keegan Palmer 208, and Harrison 90.
At the net Lizzie Palmer blocked 47 opponent kill attempts to lead the team. Perkins had 37 blocks, Flannery and Adams had 28 each, and McPherson collected 17.
The 2024 San Juan High School volleyball season was definitely one to be proud of. And it continued to establish a solid foundation that makes the near future look very bright.
With everyone returning for the 2025 season the Lady Broncos are poised to challenge for their 12th state championship in program history and first since 2010.