Riverton volleyball begin season strong

By JJ Thomson | [email protected] 

While school may not have been in session when the Riverton volleyball team opened the 2021 - 2022 season, neither that nor the heat could stop the student body from coming out in support of the varsity volleyball team. After a 10-13 record-including a 5-4 record in league play-last season, this squad started the school year off on a high note, with Riverton sweeping the season opener in three straight sets, 25-4, 25-6, and 25-8. 

The Silverwolves started the game off on a hot streak, quickly going up 8-0 in the first set. And the action did not stop there, as Riverton also had a 14-point streak in the third set, en route to the win. The Silverwolves consistently kept the Pirates on their toes, with relentless offense by returning senior Natalie Hansen. In addition to the 11 kills that Hansen had during the series, she also ended up with 12 aces. Other standouts were Adeline Stauffer who had five kills on eight attempts, hitting .625%, and Aubree Littledike recording nine assists during the match. Hansen’s performance moved her into a first place tie with West Jordan’s Mua Letoi in kills for Region 3.  She also has the most aces in Region 3 with 12 during the contest with Cyprus. Due to her outstanding play, she was awarded the MaxPreps player of the match. 

This year’s varsity team has a lot of experience as head coach Megan Holt’s Silverwolves are bringing eight seniors back from last season, including Hansen, Littledike, and Stauffer. Other returning seniors are Natalie Averett, Hailey Young, Allison Thurgood, Makenna Brown, and Madilyn Greenwood. Also returning are sophomore Tessa Hague and juniors Rhylee Tatton and Kaieva Johnson.

Wins in Region 3 will be extra crucial during the upcoming season, as West Jordan joined the already tough division this summer. West Jordan's integration will provide four tough matchups with two strong teams, with the teams splitting two home games each. Last year’s region champions, Copper Hills, finished undefeated 10-0 in region play, and 31-2 overall. Riverton dropped both matches last year to Copper Hills and is looking to avenge those losses. Newcomer West Jordan also went 10-0 while playing in region two, and 18-1 overall. Silverwolves fans are in for a treat, as both of those teams will make their way to play in front of the Riverton faithful. The West Jordan Jaguars will be in town on Sept. 14, and the Copper Hills Grizzlies will play on Sept. 23. Rounding out the remaining teams from Region 3 are Bingham, Herriman, and Mountain Ridge.