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Mountain View's Kaylin Scott (4) tips the ball over the net against Pleasant Grove on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

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Mountain View's Savanna Brotherson (left) leaps for a ball while Karlie Hopkins slides on the floor during a match at Pleasant Grove on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

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Mountain View's Lili Suguturaga serves the ball in a match against Pleasant Grove on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

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The Mountain View bench celebrates an ace serve by diving on the floor during a match at Pleasant Grove on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

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The Pleasant Grove volleyball team celebrates a point against Mountain View on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

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The Mountain View student section, known as the "Bruin Crazies" cheer on their girls volleyball team at Peasant Grove on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

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Mountain View's Kaylin Scott (4) is introduced before a match at Pleasant Grove on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

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The Pleasant Grove volleyball team stands at attention during the national anthem before a match against Mountain View on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

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Mountain View's Lucy Perez takes a swing in a match against Pleasant Grove on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

Darnell Dickson/Daily Herald

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After two straight runner-up finishes, the Mountain View girls volleyball team is on a mission to get back to the 5A state championship game and win the darn thing.

The Bruins lost to Timpview in 2020 and Bountiful in last year’s final but return most of its starting rotation in 2022. Last week, Mountain View took down 6A defending champion Lone Peak in five sets and on Tuesday swept 6A finalist Pleasant Grove 25-21, 25-19, 25-20.

It’s all about the road to get back to the finals.

“Personally, I think it’s a really big motivation since a lot of us are seniors now.” Bruins pin hitter Lucy Perez said. “So it’s our last year to have a chance to win state. We’ve come so close the last two years so we know we can do it. We all hated the feeling of coming in second the last few years. I think we just don’t want to ever feel that again. We want to come out on top.”

Mountain View (2-0) came out on top on Tuesday in front its spirited student section (known as the “Bruin Crazies”) by overcoming a slow start and tough serving, finishing with 13 aces.

“When you have really good serving you can come back from any deficit,” Mountain View coach Dave Neeley said. “It’s interesting when you think about resiliency. You can only be resilient if things aren’t going right. We never want things to go bad but we also want to be resilient.”

The home team started hot and sprinted to a 7-0 lead over the Bruins in Set 1. Mountain View righted itself from the service line and by making hustle plays.

“I think it takes us a second to get going,” said Perez, who led the Bruins with 10 kills and six service aces. “Once we get into a groove we’re unstoppable.”

Pleasant Grove still led by four at 18-14 but Mountain View libero Karlie Hopkins served three straight aces and Perez smashed a kill, pushing the Bruins into a 22-20 lead. Mountain View handled things from there and won 25-21 on a PG hitting error.

The Vikings led 11-10 in Set 2 but Mountain View went on another run, highlighted by kills from Perez and Kelly Wesley and an ace by Kaylin Scott for a 19-15 advantage. Wesley dropped in a kill at set point for a 25-19 win.

Set 3 was tied at 12 when an ace from Lili Suguturaga and a kill from Lee got the Bruins rolling again. A Pleasant Grove error made it match point and later a Viking service error ended the sweep at 25-20.

“They’ve been telling me since November or December of last year that they’re so excited for the high school season,” Neeley said. “They’ve been looking forward to this through their club seasons and through the summer. What I’m learning is that when they’ve been saying they are excited for the season it’s true because they’re out there playing hard and playing really good defense and making scrappy plays.”

Neeley said he hasn’t sat down with the team to talk about the runner-up finishes but knows that his team is well aware of their recent history.

“Some of this team still wears their championship rings (from 2019),” he said. “After two years of getting there and not scoring the final point, they certainly want to get it right.”

Mountain View (2-0) will host Skyview, Idaho’s top volleyball program, on Friday. The Bruins preseason schedule also includes Nevada’s top program, Bishop Gorman. Mountain View will play another top Utah school, Timpview, twice during Region 8 play.

“This is going to be the third year in a row we play the state’s toughest schedule,” Neeley said. “We have some high goals so we want to be able to play the best teams to try and accomplish those goals.”

Pleasant Grove (0-1) will travel to Salem Hills on Thursday.

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