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Skyridge senior Kylie Buttars (10) tips over the block against Corner Canyon in the 6A girls volleyball state finals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Tayler Hifo (left) and Kyle Buttars pose for a photo at BYU women's volleyball camp when Buttars was 13 years old. Hifo is now Buttars head coach at Skyridge.

Photo courtesy Kylie Buttars

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Skyridge senior Kylie Buttars (10) celebrates a kill with her teammates during a 6A girls volleyball second round match with Westlake at the UCCU Center on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Skyridge senior Kylie Buttars passes the ball during a 6A girls volleyball second round match against Westlake at the UCCU Center on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Sienna Kuresa (left) and Kylie Buttars of Skyridge play defense during a high school girls volleyball match against American Fork on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Kylie Buttars of Skyridge takes a swing against American Fork in a high school girls volleyball match on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

❮ ❯

Life has a funny way of coming full circle.

When Kylie Buttars was 13 years old, she attended BYU’s summer volleyball camp. Her coach during that week in the Smith Fieldhouse was a current Cougar setter named Tayler Hifo.

As a sophomore, Buttars came to Skyridge volleyball practice to find a new assistant coach: Tayler Hifo.

“She showed me the picture of the two of us together at BYU camp,” Hifo said. “It was hilarious because she was still taller than me.”

Hifo became the head coach at Skyridge in 2025 and the relationship between the coach and the star outside hitter played a key role in a special season for the Falcons.

It was a pretty special season for Buttars, too: She’s the 2025 Daily Herald Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

“I love her ability to score and also off the court, her personality is so fun,” Hifo said. “It was great, along with the feedback as well. She wanted to get better and be in the gym. I love that about her.”

Buttars finished with 398 kills (third in Class 6A) and 4.0 kills per set, hitting .264. She also added 55 aces, 226 digs and 41 total blocks as the Falcons rode a No. 1 ranking all the way to the state finals.

“Tayler is an amazing coach,” Buttars said. “I definitely remembered her from my younger years, so it’s been super fun for me. She’s a great all-around coach and a great person. She puts the person before the player and we love it. She’s dedicated to our program and a hard worker. She was just the right coach for us.”

Hifo said: “It’s a tricky dynamic being head coach instead of an assistant. I had to figure that dynamic out this year. The girls I was with the past couple of years really helped me in that transition. Kylie helped because she trusted me and I trusted her.”

Skyridge posted a 27-3 overall record and won Region 3 with a 7-1 mark. Buttars, senior Hayden Smith (365 kills, 3.4 per set), sophomore Sienna Kuresa (273 kills, 2.7 per set), senior Lily Lundberg (88 total blocks, .9 per set), junior libero Estelle Slaney (434 digs), 4.3 per set) and senior setter Lily Grant (948 assists, 8.9 per set) led the Falcons to nine straight wins leading up to the state championship game. Skyridge lost to a hot Corner Canyon team 3-1 but Buttars led her team with 13 kills.

“It was the best year,” Buttars said. “We saved the best for last. It was great and I’ve never played with a team with such chemistry. Everyone clicked and we all just wanted to get better each day. A huge shout out to our coaches and a shout out to Tayler for having a baby during the season and not missing a game.”

Hifo and her husband, former BYU football player Aleva Hifo, welcomed a baby boy (Reggie Sosaia Alama Hifo) on September 14.

The 6-foot-1 Buttars has committed to compete at BYU next season. She’ll play for Club V beginning in April and plans to enroll at BYU in June.

“Kylie is a great teammate and a person with leadership ability,” Hifo said. “She has a presence on the court, I know I can depend and rely on her. Sometimes there’s a lot of pressure on players and one of her strengths is she can take the pressure. She has a great ability to score and she’s super physical, especially with her blocking. At the beginning of the year we were subbing her out in the back row but she worked really hard on her passing to become a six-rotation player.

“Kylie has the potential to be whatever kind of player she wants to be and make as much of an impact at BYU as she did here. If she continues to work hard, I can see her making a huge impact.”

Another full circle moment for Buttars will be when she joins the team and becomes a mentor to young athletes, just like how Hifo did for her.

“I love the grind of getting better,” Buttars said. “In a team sport you can’t win a single game without your team. I’m super competitive and love volleyball so much. And I’ve loved BYU forever. Playing there is my dream and it’s what I’ve been working for. When I went on my official visit the culture there different and special. I’m so excited to represent BYU for the next four years.”

FALCON STARS

Kylie Buttars is the second Skyridge player to win the Daily Herald’s Valley Player of the Year for volleyball, joining Kaitlyn Standifird (2018).