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Pleasant Grove • If the road included a couple of bumps, thanks to graduation losses and major injuries, everything now appears at top speed for the Pleasant Grove volleyball team.
Since the Vikings have won three straight state championships, that's bad news for the rest of Class 5A.
On Thursday, Pleasant Grove took on a good Lone Peak team in Region 4 play and were never in any kind of trouble during a 25-15, 25-16, 25-18 sweep over the Knights.
"We've had our ups and downs, but along the way we've learned a lot and we've really come together as a team," said Vikings senior Brooklyn Dahl, who had five kills and three blocks.
Dahl and middle hitter Sara Hamson, who led all players with 14 kills, were regulars in last year's rotation. But, besides seniors who graduated, Pleasant Grove (19-5, 7-1) suffered injury setbacks when top hitter Bailey Nixon and setter Jeni Biggs were sidelined before the season started.
That meant that setter Giana Rasmussen, as well as outside hitters Kennedy Redd and Kazna Tarawhiti, took on increased roles.
In the 3-0 win Thursday, Redd and Tarawhiti combined for 13 kills. Rasmussen and Redd are juniors, while Tarawhiti is only a sophomore.
"I think they've been prepared well in the past years by our coaching and they've been able to step up," Dahl said. "I couldn't be more proud of them. You can't even tell that they're younger than the rest of us."
Another in that group is junior middle Malli Valgardson, who recorded four kills and two blocks. At 6-foot-5, Valgardson combines with 6-foot-6 Hamson to provide a consistent problem for PG opponents at the net.
"They're both very tall," Lone Peak coach Deanna Meyer said. "It's tough to defend because they get over the top of the block. We need to counter that with some offense."
Lone Peak (11-11, 4-3) was led by Kacie Huntsman's seven kills, while setter Jaysa Funk and right-side hitter Makayla Pollard added five each.
In the second meeting between the two schools, the Knights never led at any point in the match.
"We're doing a lot of good things in practice right now," Pleasant Grove coach Allyce Jones said. "It took a little bit, because I don't think they were expecting that role right off the bat. Now, they're just running with it."
Two weeks ago, the Vikes knocked off rival Lehi in a four-game region road match. Pleasant Grove's only loss in Region 4 so far is to American Fork - a team with a 2-4 mark in league play.
That was one of those bumps PG aims to smooth over next week.
"They played well, they're a good team and we didn't play our best," Jones said of the earlier loss to the Cavemen. "We're gonna bring it on Tuesday."