Game Details - Boys Volleyball

Slowly, No. 2 Crimson Cliffs was losing its grip on the quarterfinal. The Mustangs started strong with two dominant wins in the opening sets, but a rally from No. 7 Orem nearly forced a fifth set. Despite a 10-point deficit, Crimson Cliffs crawled back for the 3-1 quarter-final win. “Orem did a great job of stepping up,” said Crimson Cliffs head coach Raelene Elam. “They did a great job of reducing their errors, which was huge for them, and we have a tendency when we lose a few points to kind of get down on ourselves. “I think the biggest thing was just them stepping up and us not necessarily answering back until the end.” Crimson Cliffs earned quick 25-12 and 25-17 wins in the opening sets and it felt like the Mustangs were on their way to a third. However, Orem answered back strongly with a 25-20 set win. Everything for Crimson Cliffs was in jeopardy as the Tigers used that momentum to get a 17-7 lead in the fourth set. Despite the deficit, Elam put her trust in her team and let them ride it out without taking a timeout. “I just put faith in them that they could do it and I knew that they could,” Elam said. “It was just a matter of them believing in themselves.” After that deficit, Crimson Cliffs outscored Orem 19-7 for the win. Garrett Campbell led the way offensively with 16 kills, while Cohen Romney added nine.