San Juan volleyball team rallies for strong finish at state tourney

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The San Juan High School volleyball team played in their first genuine state tournament match in two seasons this past Friday, October 28 when they met #6-ranked Millard at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield in the 2A second round.
It was a tough start to the weekend with the Eagles downing the Broncos in four sets. The second-round loss dropped San Juan into the sixth-place bracket, and that’s when they got a chance to show the heart that had made them strong this season.
The girls rallied to sweep Wasatch Academy, then held off a comeback from a tough Enterprise squad to win in five sets in the sixth place semifinals.
The victory propelled them into the sixth place game against Draper APA, who were ranked fourth entering the tourney.
In the match on Saturday, October 29 San Juan battled hard, but came up short, losing in four sets to the Eagles. Despite the tough finish, the Broncos showed what they’re made of and it was their best state tournament performance since they made it to the semifinals and finished fourth in 2019.
Bronco Head Coach Misty Perkins offered some thoughts and observations following the completion of her first season at the helm. “It was a tough year on so many different levels, but also very rewarding,” she said.
“I feel my coaches and I were able to build a good volleyball foundation and that makes me excited for next year, especially with all the young blood we have.”
Perkins shared that her favorite moments during the year were playing in the state tournament and seeing her players’ growth every day.
She said she and the team were able to accomplish the goals they set forth at the beginning of the season. “When we started a lot of the girls didn’t know the basic fundamentals of volleyball. When we were done, their volleyball IQ had developed a ton,” Perkins explained.
Some of the goals they accomplished include making it to the state tournament, making adjustments to their serving, and playing for each other as a team.
The players “definitely became mentally stronger by developing communications with their coaches and teammates,” Perkins detailed.
“They learned to let go of their mistakes and reset quickly. I also saw them visualizing and becoming more confident. All of that helped them learn how to play together as a team.”
Coach Perkins said the state tournament was a great experience for the players and coaches alike and was very exciting.
“We had some moments of selfish play, but once [the players] set their feelings aside, they really fought hard and played for each other,” she said. “Looking at them from the beginning of the year, eighth place is pretty good!”
Perkins also reflected on the help she received this season and expressed her appreciation. “I would like to thank my coaches and all the time spent away from their families. I couldn’t have done it without them. Also a big thank you to the community and all their support.”
Perkins said she plans to return next season to coach the Broncos again. The team will lose a chunk of their players when seven seniors graduate this coming spring. So it will be a bit of a reset, but the teams of the past couple seasons have definitely set a strong precedent.