San Juan volleyball 4th going into final games
by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The San Juan High School volleyball team has lost back-to-back games only twice this season. The first time was at the beginning of the season at the Dixie Fly High Tournament in St. George. The second was against Kanab and Monticello on September 8 and 13.
Following the loss to their rivals in the MHS gym, the Broncos won three of their next four matches, all against Region 19 foes, over the course of the past couple of weeks.
On Wednesday, September 14, they swept Enterprise, although every set was a battle, 25-23, 26-24, and 25-23.
At the time, the Wolves had a 9-5 record and were ranked higher than San Juan, but that loss began a four-game skid for EHS.
On September 23, the Broncos headed to western Utah to take on Beaver for the first time this season.
San Juan won the opening set 26-24 but then dropped the next two 25-16 and 25-23 and the Beavers had the visitors on the ropes.
But the Broncos battled back to dominate the fourth set 25-10 and force a tie breaker. Then they took the match with a hard-fought 16-14 win in the fifth.
The only blemish in the past three weeks was a 3-1 loss to Kanab on September 29. But again, San Juan bounced back to close out the season series with South Sevier, beating the Rams in four on October 1.
Coming into this week, the Broncos are the #4 team in the state in the 2A ranks with a 10-7 record. Beaver came to Blanding on Tuesday, October 4, after the press deadline, looking to avenge their loss from a couple weeks ago.
Coming up this weekend, San Juan heads to Richfield to play several games at the Sevier Valley Tournament, including a matchup with the 3A host Richfield Wildcats at 2 p.m. on Friday, October 7.
They face North Sanpete at 5 p.m on Friday, then North Sevier and Carbon at 9 a.m. and noon on Saturday. Following round robin play, there will be a one-game playoff Saturday afternoon.
The Broncos will close out their regular season next week with tough road matchups against #8 Enterprise on October 14 and the #1 (and 22-0) Parowan Rams on October 15.