Timpview’s 2022 season got underway in a match against Ridgeline in Provo Tuesday night. The Thunderbirds took care of business against the Riverhawks to the tune of a 3-0 sweep. Timpview won the sets by scores of 25-17, 25-12, and 26-24.
While the match marked the first of the season for the Thunderbirds, it was the second for the Riverhawks who were defeated in their opener against Skyridge last week.
The pair of schools entered this season with high expectations as two of the premier volleyball programs in the state, each winning state titles over the past couple of years in their respective classifications.
The Riverhawks won the 4A state championship a season ago, while the Thunderbirds took the 5A title in 2020 before being defeated in last year’s state semifinal.
The schools have plenty of familiarity with each other. Their coaches, Charmay Lee of Timpview and Jaicee Roden of Ridgeline, coached together for three years.
But the connections don’t end there, as each team is anchored by a pair of senior cousin setters; Silina Damuni for the Thunderbirds and Nia Damuni for the Riverhawks.
Due to construction at Timpview, Tuesday’s meeting with Ridgeline was the Thunderbirds’ first opportunity to play on its official court this year.
“This is our first night being in the Thunderdome,” Lee said. “We haven’t been able to even practice in here. We were excited that we finally got in the Thunderdome.”
Timpview put its excitement and energy into the first set, overpowering its visitors, leading by as many as 12 points before finishing with an eight-point victory. Despite being outscored 5-2 to end the set, the Thunderbirds’ big lead kept the school comfortably in control down the stretch.
The next set saw Timpview face its first deficit since 1-2 in the initial set. The Thunderbirds quickly erased the discrepancy, going on a 20-3 run to close things out and take a 2-0 set lead. Senior outside hitter Taliah Lee finished the set off for the Thunderbirds on a service ace.
“We’ve been focusing on certain aspects,” Charmay Lee said. “I have high level athletes and I just like to challenge them in a lot of ways. … We served really tough. I thought that was really good. We were aggressive on the front line.”
The final set took even more from Charmay Lee’s squad. With 12 ties, it was much more competitive. The Riverhawks began to pull away, taking a 15-19 lead before ultimately reaching set point up by two. That’s when Silina Damuni calmly led her team back, scoring three of the Thunderbirds final six points.
“I try to show I can trust my teammates as much as possible,” Timpview’s Damuni said. “I wouldn’t want anybody else on the court but them. Just establishing confidence in my team is super important, believing in myself and them as well.”
The Thunderbirds and Damuni will take that confidence into their next match in the Thunderdome Tuesday night against Salem Hills. Ridgeline will get another chance to pick up its first win of the season that same day in a home match against Lehi. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm
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