Corner Canyon claimed its second consecutive Utah 6A girls volleyball championship Wednesday, Oct. 28, sweeping Skyridge 3-0 at the UCCU Center in Orem.
The Chargers won the final in straight sets, 25-23, 25-20 and 30-28, as first reported by the Deseret News. The third set alone needed 58 points to decide.
Corner Canyon reached championship point three times in that final set, according to the Daily Herald. Each time, Skyridge answered. Lucy Meck delivered a solo block and Sienna Kuresa hammered a kill to keep the Falcons alive. Maia Schwalger then went off the Skyridge block to push Corner Canyon ahead 29-28. On the next rally, the Chargers rejected a Skyridge swing for the title.
The Deseret News reported that middle blocker Leah Schaub recorded the championship-winning block at 29-28.
"It's fun to have that back-to-back championship," Corner Canyon coach Mindy Ricks said, according to the Deseret News. "First time for Corner Canyon, and now second state championship."
Senior Berkleigh Minnick led the Chargers with 14 kills. Maija Mortensen, a 6-foot-4 junior middle blocker, was a force at the net all match. The Deseret News credited Mortensen with 10 kills, while the Daily Herald reported 12.
Mortensen missed the first few weeks of the season to play for the U.S. Girls U17 National Team in Chile, where the Americans won gold, according to the Deseret News. Corner Canyon still opened the year on a 12-game winning streak, losing only two sets during that stretch.
The top-seeded Chargers (29-3) had just one loss to a Utah team all season, according to the Daily Herald. MaxPreps ranked Corner Canyon No. 16 nationally as of Oct. 13.
Ricks said the roster turned over significantly from last year's title team. "These kids, half of them were here last year," she said, according to the Deseret News. "We had a whole bunch of new kids this year, so it was fun to see that seniority come out and help those younger kids."
Skyridge did not go quietly. Emma White posted a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs, and Kuresa added nine kills and 17 digs, the Daily Herald reported. Falcons coach Taylor Hifo, who is 52-10 in two seasons at Skyridge, praised his team's fight.
"We didn't give up," Hifo said, according to the Daily Herald. "Our goal was to fight to the end, and I appreciate that."
Corner Canyon's tournament path was dominant. The Chargers swept Cedar Valley 3-0 and Bingham 3-0 in the opening rounds Oct. 27, then beat Lone Peak 3-1 in the semifinals, dropping just one set across four matches, according to the Deseret News.
Last season, Corner Canyon beat Skyridge 3-1 in the 6A final for the program's first state title. The two Region 3 rivals met twice during the regular season, with Corner Canyon winning both matches. Skyridge pushed the Chargers to five sets on Oct. 1, the Daily Herald reported.
Corner Canyon's three primary attackers, Schwalger, Minnick and Mortensen, combined for nearly 600 kills during the regular season, according to MaxPreps. Mortensen and Schwalger are juniors. Minnick is a senior, per the MaxPreps roster.
