Timpview’s Silina Damuni, Tiana Mariner and Taliah Lee react after scoring on Ridgeline in a highschool volleyball match in Provo on Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information
Timpview’s 2022 season obtained underway in a match in opposition to Ridgeline in Provo Tuesday evening. The Thunderbirds took care of enterprise in opposition to the Riverhawks to the tune of a 3-0 sweep. Timpview gained the units by scores of 25-17, 25-12, and 26-24.
Whereas the match marked the primary of the season for the Thunderbirds, it was the second for the Riverhawks who had been defeated of their opener in opposition to Skyridge final week.
The pair of colleges entered this season with excessive expectations as two of the premier volleyball packages within the state, every successful state titles over the previous couple of years of their respective classifications.
The Riverhawks gained the 4A state championship a season in the past, whereas the Thunderbirds took the 5A title in 2020 earlier than being defeated in final 12 months’s state semifinal.
The colleges have loads of familiarity with one another. Their coaches, Charmay Lee of Timpview and Jaicee Roden of Ridgeline, coached collectively for 3 years.
However the connections don’t finish there, as every group is anchored by a pair of senior cousin setters; Silina Damuni for the Thunderbirds and Nia Damuni for the Riverhawks.
On account of building at Timpview, Tuesday’s assembly with Ridgeline was the Thunderbirds’ first alternative to play on its official court docket this 12 months.
“That is our first evening being within the Thunderdome,” Lee stated. “We haven’t been in a position to even follow in right here. We had been excited that we lastly obtained within the Thunderdome.”
Timpview put its pleasure and power into the primary set, overpowering its guests, main by as many as 12 factors earlier than ending with an eight-point victory. Regardless of being outscored 5-2 to finish the set, the Thunderbirds’ massive lead saved the college comfortably in management down the stretch.
The subsequent set noticed Timpview face its first deficit since 1-2 within the preliminary set. The Thunderbirds rapidly erased the discrepancy, happening a 20-3 run to shut issues out and take a 2-0 set lead. Senior outdoors hitter Taliah Lee completed the set off for the Thunderbirds on a service ace.
“We’ve been specializing in sure elements,” Charmay Lee stated. “I've excessive degree athletes and I identical to to problem them in a variety of methods. … We served actually robust. I believed that was actually good. We had been aggressive on the entrance line.”
The ultimate set took much more from Charmay Lee’s squad. With 12 ties, it was rather more aggressive. The Riverhawks started to drag away, taking a 15-19 lead earlier than finally reaching set level up by two. That’s when Silina Damuni calmly led her group again, scoring three of the Thunderbirds remaining six factors.
“I attempt to present I can belief my teammates as a lot as potential,” Timpview’s Damuni stated. “I wouldn’t need anyone else on the court docket however them. Simply establishing confidence in my group is tremendous essential, believing in myself and them as properly.”
The Thunderbirds and Damuni will take that confidence into their subsequent match within the Thunderdome Tuesday evening in opposition to Salem Hills. Ridgeline will get one other likelihood to choose up its first win of the season that very same day in a house match in opposition to Lehi. Each matches are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.