vs
| 05/08/25 - Neutral | 2-1 W |
| 03/08/25 - Neutral | 3-1 W |
| 03/08/25 - Neutral | 2-1 W |
| 03/09/24 - Neutral | 2-0 W |
Payson had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 win over the Desert Hills Thunder on Thursday. The Lions haven't had any issues with the Thunder recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Waylon Francom paced Payson's offense, picking up 15 kills. Francom got some help from Dillon Houston and his 32 assists. Parker Houston and Brockton Shirley kept things locked in from the service line: the pair finished with two aces apiece.
When it comes to explaining why Desert Hills lost, don't look at Kolu Afualo. Despite the final result, he had 14 assists and four digs. Afualo is on a roll when it comes to assists, as he's now posted 14 or more in each of the last three games he's played. Triston Anderson also deserves some recognition as he had his first block of the season.
Payson's win bumped their record up to 21-10. As for Desert Hills, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 18-10.
As of now, neither Payson nor the Thunder have any future games scheduled.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
