San Juan volleyball team cruises through first two weeks of 2024 season, improves to 7-0

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The San Juan High School volleyball team rolled thunderously through the first two weeks of the 2024 season. Not only did they improve to 7-0 after a win over Miyamura, NM this past Friday, August 30, they haven’t lost a single set so far this year.
This past week the Lady Broncos swept Monticello, Gunnison Valley, and Miyamura to continue an impressive run that began on August 20.
In the match with Monticello in the MHS gym on Tuesday, August 27 both teams entered with undefeated records. San Juan was 4-0 and Monticello was 2-0.
The first set was closely contested but the Lady Broncos snuck away with a 26-24 win. That set the tone for the remainder of the night. The Lady Buckaroos were never able to overcome the setback and San Juan took the next two sets easily, 25-10 and 25-18.
For San Juan, Madden Perkins and Miley Harrison led the way with 12 and ten kills respectively. Morgann McPherson added eight and Keezie Flannery had five in the win.
Flannery had seven aces and a 95.0 serving percentage. Harrison had three aces and Averie Gilson got two. McPherson only registered one ace on the night but she went 6-of-6 for a perfect serving percentage.
McPherson led the team defensively with 17 digs and one block. Gilson collected ten blocks in the win. Flannery and Keegan Palmer both had six digs apiece and Madden Perkins got two blocks.
Following the win over their longtime rival, the Lady Broncos continued their week on the road with a long trip to Gunnison, UT to take on the Gunnison Valley Lady Bulldogs in the first Region 15 match of the season on Wednesday, August 28.
The girls dominated, downing Gunnison Valley 25-16, 25-18, and 25-21. Perkins victimized the Lady Bulldogs with 11 kills while McPherson and Harrison collected nine apiece.
Flannery’s serving performance was a mirror image of what she did against Monticello – seven aces and a 95.0 serve percentage. Harrison added three aces and Gilson got a couple.
McPherson was impressive defensively with 18 digs and a block. Gilson had 12 digs, Keegan Palmer added seven, and Flannery had six with a block. Flannery also put up a stunning 35 assists in the win.
San Juan traveled to Gallup, NM this past Friday, August 30 where they closed out the week against Miyamura. The Lady Patriots gave the Lady Broncos a solid challenge, but the visitors were able to overcome and post a 3-0 win, 26-24, 25-23, and 25-16.
McPherson once again led the attack with 11 kills while Harrison mustered eight. Three players – Flannery, Perkins, and Lizzie Palmer – collected six kills apiece in the win.
Flannery had a very impressive night serving. She collected five aces and was a perfect 19-for-19 from behind the line. Gilson and Keegan Palmer added one ace apiece.
San Juan had no less than four players in double-digit digs on the night. Flannery and McPherson had 12 apiece while Keegan Palmer had 11 and Averie Gilson got ten. And Flannery was amazing again with 28 assists.
Through the first seven games of the season Madden Perkins sports a .310 hitting percentage in 18 sets, which is good enough for seventh-best in the state. She has just 11 errors in 113 attempts.
McPherson leads the team with 66 kills and 70 digs. Flannery has 23 aces, a 93.5 serve percentage, and 171 assists. Madden Perkins has a team-high seven blocks. And Averie Gilson leads with 94 serve receptions.
After spending the past week on the road San Juan will enjoy a nearly two-week homestand with matches against Duchesne this Friday, September 6, North Sevier August 7, Gunnison Valley August 12, Uintah August 13, and Grand County August 17.