The Box Elder Bees will challenge the West Jordan Jaguars at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
Box Elder lost 3-0 to Bountiful on Thursday. The Bees have struggled against the RedHawks recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Box Elder was the model of consistency in the loss, scoring 18 points in every single set they played. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-18, 25-18, 25-18.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, West Jordan rose to the challenge on Monday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Royals 3-2. Winning may never get old, but the Jaguars sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
The match was a true back-and-forth as no team won consecutive sets, but in the end it was West Jordan who won the one that mattered. The match finished with set scores of 25-22, 20-25, 25-15, 16-25, 15-8.
West Jordan's win came from a few key players Box Elder will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Traeh Tuaumu, who hit 87.5% for seven kills and 13 digs, five blocks, and five aces. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 2.1 aces per game. Marshall Handy was another key player, getting 16 digs and five assists.
West Jordan was lethal from the service line and finished the game with ten aces. They are a perfect 9-0 when they serve at least ten aces.
Box Elder's defeat dropped their record down to 19-6. As for West Jordan, their win bumped their record up to 18-10.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's match: Box Elder has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 5.2 aces per game. However, it's not like West Jordan struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more volleyball content.
