High school boys volleyball: Pine View clinches inaugural 4A state title in 5-set nailbiter over Orem

Pine View had to work overtime on Saturday to pull out the inaugural 4A boys volleyball state championship.

The day started with the Panthers narrowly escaping the 4A semifinal with a 3-2 win over Logan, and it ended with them narrowly escaping the 4A championship with a 3-2 win over Orem.

“It was a huge relief,” said Pine View senior Spencer Blackmore. “My legs were done, but it feels phenomenal. We’re so excited to put this trophy in the case.”

Pine View had things going its way early in the 4A title game, as Blackmore tallied five kills in the first set to help the Panthers win it 25-22.

Orem fought back and took control in the second and third sets, however, as Ben Hone, Keanu Calles and Luke Wolsey were racking up kills.

Pine View seemed to have lost complete control of the match when Orem got a dominant 14-25 third-set victory to take the 2-1 lead over the Panthers.

In between sets, Panthers head coach Josh Warner knew the adjustments he needed to make.

“One of our guys was getting picked on in serve receive so I told them I needed them to do a few things to take some of the pressure off of him. They responded and stepped in,” Warner said. “The other message was if we did that, started to clean up our passes and get our middles involved, we will be OK.”

Warner’s plan paid off, with middle blockers Trevor Condie and Brodie Swensen combining for seven kills in the fourth set to help take the 25-21 win and force a fifth set.

“There was a point where they could’ve turned on each other,” said Warner. “When we were down big, their ability to get in, calm down and respond was big.

“Their minds are young and sometimes they don’t let themselves slow down, but they did that all weekend. When they’ve gotten down this weekend, they went back to the basics, and they’ve done a great job.”

Pine View honed all the momentum it gained and pushed it into the fifth set.

Outside hitters Blackmore and Kody Campbell both came up with big swing points for the Panthers, and they quickly built a 10-5 lead.

“That was the best we’ve ever played, and we really played for each other,” Campbell said. “When we started to open up everyone else, it made my job easier.

“It’s so awesome. Our school isn’t the most successful in sports, so it feels good to win this one.”

Orem didn’t go out without a fight, and both Calles and Hone combined for six kills to help bring the game to a 15-15 nail-biter.

With a 16-15 lead, it was Blackmore who helped push a joust over the net to take the 17-15 set win and secure the inaugural 4A state championship.

“I was a little shocked by the way that it ended,” Warner said. “Spencer is a little smaller, but he is super athletic and the kid on the other side was bigger than Spencer.

“Luckily, Spencer snuck it, though, and it didn’t hit me until I saw the boys celebrating. I went to the bench, put my head down to feel it and I enjoyed it for them.”