ETV News stock photo by Jeff Barrett
The Dinos are coming off an impressive season that saw them go 22-6 with a fourth place finish overall at state. They fell in a heartbreaker to Morgan in the semi-finals in what turned out the be the most competitive game of the tournament.
“It’s good fuel for the fire,” remarked head coach Teresa Mower. “You have to wait a whole year to get redemption, that hurts.”
Carbon is returning a number of integral players from last year’s squad, including Lyndee Mower, Janzie Jensen and Sydney Orth, to name a few. Lyndee received All-State Honorable Mention last year and finished fourth in the state in digs. Jensen, on the other hand, finished third in the state in blocks in her first year of playing middle blocker. The other middle blocker, Sydney Orth, ranked in the top 10 in blocks at the state level as well.
“Our middles are the same and they will have much more experience this year,” Mower said. “Those three are seniors; they’re our captains and leaders. They are super athletic and definitely competitive.”
Unfortunately, Carbon did lose its setter, libero and outside hitter in Makenna Blanc, Katie Jones and Emma Christensen. “It changes the dynamic. It’s a change for sure,” began Mower when talking about movement within the roster. Replacing a setter is not much different than replacing a quarterback on the gridiron. Hitters and setters need time to become familiar with one another and get their timing down. “So far, [the changes are going] good. The good news is, we have really athletic girls and they want to win. They are willing to put forth the effort to make changes and put in the work. They’re working hard at it.”
From an opponent standpoint, Carbon is anticipating its toughest schedule in recent memory. When asked what went into the decision to creating a difficult schedule, Mower replied, “Part is because of our region and part has been intentional. With the RPI, you want to play good teams.”
The 2A and 3A defending champs, North Summit and Union, respectively, have both made calls to take on the Dinos. As far as the region goes, it’s going to be a dog fight. “It will be a battle between Richfield, who is always there, and Emery is going to be good. I don’t know anything about Canyon View; they will be a dark horse. There’s going to be some tough teams.”
Indications through the summer are that teams all over the state have taken steps forward. Mower remarked, “Everyone looks better this year. Delta will be good, and Morgan didn’t lose a lot.” She concluded, “We have a really good group of girls. It’s more of a group effort this year and the team is more unified. We just need to get the dynamics down.”