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The Bountiful High School volleyball team has had what most would call a successful season, going 19-6 overall and 9-3 in region play. With the state tournament starting Friday, the question remains: Do the Braves have what it takes to bring home Bountiful's first-ever state volleyball title?

Team members say yes.

"I do think we have a really good chance at getting up there," said senior captain Kelsey Rathmann. "We are one of the strongest teams in 4A and I think we have a really good chance."

While almost any team would say they have a chance at winning a state title, the Braves have the résumé to prove it.

Their only losses this season were to 5A teams and Region 6 champions Stansbury, and most of those losses came while the team wasn't at full strength.

"We hit some bumps in the road in the middle part of the season," Head Coach Lane Herrick said. "We've been up and down for two or three weeks, with girls out with untimely injuries, strep throat and the flu, but we should be healthy at state."

Bountiful has battled injuries and sickness all season and hasn't had its full team on the court in more than four weeks. Players are looking forward to being at their best this weekend.

"It is always difficult to get consistency when you are throwing in different lineups. It'll be good to have our whole team healthy and ready," said senior Ashley Allred.

The team has had up to three players at a time unable to play or playing with injuries.

Senior Melissa Regis has been out with a back injury and Rachel Coleman hasn't played in more than two weeks because of a stress fracture in her foot. Junior Madi Packard has been playing with shinsplints.

"We're so close-knit that missing those girls that are so important to our team threw us off, and having them will make us that much better," Packard said.

Bountiful does not have just one go-to player, but a balanced offensive attack, observers note.

"If someone is struggling, we can turn to someone else to pick us up for a while. We can rely on anyone and everyone," Allred said.

With six seniors and team members who play club volleyball together in the off season, chemistry will be one of the team's strengths heading into tournament play.

"It helps us handle tough situations when we play together all the time," Regis said.

Bountiful is set to play Sky View in the first round. If successful, the team would likely have a showdown with Snow Canyon.

"We played them this summer and we did lose but it was really close," Regis said. "It would be really cool to take out Snow Canyon."

The Braves play at 9 a.m. Friday. —

Bountiful volleyball

Bountiful has 6 seniors on its team this season.

Of the Braves' 19 wins this season, only three took more than three sets to win.

Bountiful has never won a state volleyball championship.