Maple Mountain鈥檚 Pratt sisters fueling early-season success
SPANISH FORK, Utah (BVM) 鈥� Maple Mountain High School volleyball doesn鈥檛 exactly have a sparkling recent history of success, but it certainly appears to be on its way.
Just ask the Golden Eagles鈥� head coach, Amanda Petersen.
鈥�It takes a few years to build a program like this, it’s been a long time coming for us,鈥� Petersen said.
In 2017, a year before Petersen took over as head coach, Maple Mountain finished 4-17 and was swept in seven of its losses. The Golden Eagles fared similarly in 2018 for Petersen鈥檚 debut season, stumbling to a 4-11 mark. Petersen led Maple Mountain to 21 wins a year ago, and has since led a 6-1 start to begin a season that could vanish at any point.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the continuation of the fall sports season, the third-year head coach said her team hasn鈥檛 flinched.
鈥�My girls have worked really hard to get to this season and they just keep getting told it’s not guaranteed, that it could all be taken away at any point,鈥� Petersen said. 鈥淔ortunately, I have a team of mentally-tough champions. Instead of being scared, they’ve used this chaos to fuel them to play harder and give more at every game.
鈥淭hey refuse to give up or let up because any game could be their last; it’s motivating and inspiring.鈥�
The Golden Eagles鈥� mental toughness was on full display over the weekend as they secured a Union Classic championship, but so was their talented freshman duo.
Marly Pratt is a defensive specialist who recorded 75 total digs and passed a 2.1 in the Union Classic tournament. The freshman followed that up with 54 digs and passed a 2.6, a near perfect game, during a Tuesday night win over No. 12 Uintah.
鈥淢arly is a phenomenon,鈥� Petersen said. 鈥淢arly sees everything and is so good at reading other teams; she would rather die than let a ball hit the floor.鈥�
It鈥檚 rare to have a freshman as smart as Pratt on the court, and the Golden Eagles have two. Pratt鈥檚 twin sister, Morgan, is just as incredible of an athlete, Petersen said.
Morgan sets backrow, hits front row and compiled 20 kills to go along with 28 assists on Tuesday night.
鈥淢organ is a two-edged sword and can鈥檛 be stopped,鈥� Petersen said. 鈥淎s athletes, they’re (Marly and Morgan) incredible but they also bring so much more to our team. They are hilarious, goofy, intense and so fun.
鈥淭hat intensity and hustle motivates a lot of my other athletes to play as hard as they do; they elevate the whole team. It’s an honor to coach them.鈥�
Maple Mountain is ranked as the No. 11 team in Utah by, and that鈥檚 not due solely to its twin tandem.
Senior Naomi Memmott is a three-year varsity starter who had 13 kills on Tuesday night and is a force in the middle of Petersen鈥檚 offense.
鈥�(Memmott is) one of those you put in the lineup and never worry that she’ll do her job,鈥� Petersen said. 鈥淪he’s such a consistent player and asset to my defense. It’s also not very common to have middles as active as mine.鈥�
Then there鈥檚 sophomore Gracie Keisel who 鈥渉as this amazing ability to find holes in other teams’ blocks and smash the ball through.鈥� Starting off the season as a right side, Keisel was moved to outside after a strong start and has continued to shine.
As talented as the Golden Eagles are, they鈥檒l be even better upon the return of Jettlee Loane. The sophomore libero broke her wrist in the season鈥檚 opening week and has a few more weeks before she鈥檚 back on the court, but she started in more than half of Maple Mountain鈥檚 games as a freshman.
鈥淪he鈥檒l be a defensive force to be reckoned with,鈥� Petersen said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 wait until she鈥檚 back so our defense is just unstoppable.鈥�
It鈥檚 scary to think about a much-improved version of this Golden Eagles squad, but it鈥檚 a welcomed possibility for a program primed for a special season.
鈥淚n girls sports, it’s common to see emotions and mental defeat get the best of a lot of athletes; my team refuses to do that,鈥� Petersen said. 鈥淭hey’ll find a way to outlast and out-hustle everyone else in the gym no matter the circumstances.鈥�
