The Maple Mountain Boys Volleyball team has yet again won the 5A Championship!
Since the tournament began, the Golden Eagles have played with one goal: to defend their title and repeat as champions.
Unfortunately, Saturday was not a good day for Wasatch, as they suffered a 3-0 clean sweep.
The Final Showdown: Maple Mountain vs Wasatch
During the final match on Saturday, the Golden Eagles displayed their dominance from start to finish at the UCCU Center against Wasatch. Maple Mountain finished the game via a clean sweep on the scorecard: 25-16, 25-15, 25-15 in three straight sets.
Set 1 (25–16)
Since the beginning of the first set of the game, Maple Mountain had the intention of winning the title anyhow, so their dominance was seen as Taft Hillman led the opening session with his strong serve, including two aces.
The Golden Eagle made an early lead with the help of Trey Thornton’s power attacks, making the scorecard 15-6. Wasatch was not able to figure out the game since Maple’s offense was incredible, which concluded the set by 25-16.
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Set 2 (25–15)
The second set was also similar to the first set, as Thornton started with seven kills and led Maple Mountain with an 11-7 score.
With his teammate’s support, he showed an aggressive and consistent performance and eventually dominated the set. Thornton’s added points helped the team close the set with an easy 25-15 win.
Set 3 (25–15)
The scorecard of the second and third sets was the same: 25-15. During the final set of the game, Maple Mountain continued to carry the momentum as they went on to score an early 9-0 lead.
When Wasatch was set to make a comeback, the score was already 13-3. Maple Mountain’s players were more focused on passing the ball and hitting in the right area of the court, which helped them seal the set by 25-15.
Following the dominant victory in the finals of the 5A Championship, the head coach of Maple Mountain, Napoleon Galang, said, “It looks easy, but we’ve had our struggles. It’s just so satisfying to see it pay off in the end. A lot of teams plan for us, and Trey is so good, but we have a whole team that is just as lethal.”
Key Players in the match
Maple Mountain’s second consecutive victory is supported not only by individual players but also by the whole team’s effort, which was seen by those who contributed to different aspects of the game.
Players like Trey Thornton, Taft Hillman, Manase Storey, Abe Hawkins, and others contributed to the win.
| Player | Position | Performance |
| Trey Thornton | Outside Hitter | 22 kills, MVP-level performance |
| Taft Hillman | Setter | 40 assists, 2 aces, crucial playmaking |
| Manase Storey | Middle Blocker | Contributed with blocks, 1 ace, and solid defense |
| Abe Hawkins | Middle Blocker | Key blocks and kills contributed to the Set 3 run |
| Matheus Borges | Outside Hitter | Supportive offensive plays throughout the match |
| Kimball Olsen | Outside Hitter (Freshman) | Contributed offensively with key moments in the match |
Trey Thornton was playing as an Outside Hitter and contributed 22 kills, which was also regarded as the MVP performance of the match.
Similarly, the setter, Taft Hillman, had 40 assists and 2 aces, supported by Manase Storey, the team’s Middle Blocker, who contributed 1 ace and defense.
Outside hitters Matheus Borges and Kimball Olsen played as a supportive offense throughout the match, especially during crucial moments.
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