2A Boys Volleyball: American Heritage falls short in final against Salt Lake Academy
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- Joseph Hansen of American Heritage receives a serve against Salt Lake Academy in the 2A boys volleyball state final at the UCCU Center on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
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- Members of the American Heritage boys volleyball team pose for photos after finishing as runner-up in the 2A state tournament at the UCCU Center on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
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- Dallin Castle of American Heritage prepares to take a swing against Salt Lake Academy in the 2A boys volleyball final at the UCCU Center on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
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- Fans wait to greet the American Heritage boys volleyball team at the UCCU Center on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
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- Peter Jacobson of American Heritage holds the 2A boys volleyball state tournament runner-up trophy at the UCCU Center on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
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- Cove Hansen of American Heritage takes a swing against Salt Lake Academy in the 2A boys volleyball state final at the UCCU Center on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
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- The American Heritage boys volleyball team celebrates a point in the 2A state final against Salt Lake Academy on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
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- Ammon Lee of American Heritage takes a swing against Salt Lake Academy in the 2A boys volleyball state final at the UCCU Center on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
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- Jacob Fullmer (left) and Cove Hansen throw up a block against Salt Lake Academy in the 2A boys volleyball state final at the UCCU Center on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
American Heritage surprised top-seeded Salt Lake Academy in the first set of their 2A boys volleyball state final, fighting off a set point and earning the win.
But good teams respond, and the Griffins did just that, winning the next three sets to earn a 3-1 (26-28, 25-14, 25-20, 25-21) victory at the UCCU Center on Saturday.
The Salt Lake Academy offensive tandem of Takeo Derby and Elijah Johnson, fueled by the leadership of junior setter and team captain Ryder Harrison, eventually overwhelmed the Patriots at the net.
“Credit to their team,” American Heritage coach Bradley Castle said. “They stayed focused the whole game. They were great passers. I think our passes were a little bit off which was a bit uncharacteristic, but at the same time, they were swinging and they were very crafty with how they ere dinking the ball or dumping the ball over. We really weren’t expecting that early on. Our game is more hitting the ball hard and attacking and that’s what we stuck with.”
That strategy worked well in the first set as the Patriots (17-9) went to extra points behind the efforts of their top two hitters, Peter Jacobson and Dallin Castle. With the score tied at 26, Castle found the back line with a swing and followed that with a kill off the SLA block for the 28-26 win.
But Derby and Johnson led the Griffins (22-9) back in Set 2, taking advantage of American Heritage errors to roll to a decisive 25-14 win which evened the match at 1-1. Set 3 was tied at 12-12 when Salt Lake Academy found another gear, Johnson contributing two kills and a pair of aces in a 8-1 run for a 20-13 lead. The Patriots made it back to 24-20 on a combo block from Lincoln Ericson and Sam Reed, but Derby’s swing found a hole on the next serve for a Griffins victory.
American Heritage led Set 4 20-18 on an ace from Joseph Hansen but Derby got hot again, knocking down a pair of kills to get to championship point. The Patriots had a swing that went long and Salt Lake Academy had their four-set victory.
The Patriots started the season 14-2 but ran into a rough patch where they lost six of seven matches, including three forfeits. But they found strength in each other and rallied all the way to the state title match.
“A lot of those games we had injuries and some guys that weren’t playing, but we still learned from those games and it was a strength for us,” Coach Castle said. “We were able to come together as a team and really get a better idea of the roles of each one of our players. We’re just super proud of these guys and the way they trusted each other and came together, even though we didn’t come way with outcome that we wanted as a team. We feel proud of them and victorious in that way.”
American Heritage, which finished as runner-up in 3A boys basketball in February, contributed to excellent play in the first-ever 2A boys volleyball tournament.
“We love the whole thing, we love the atmosphere,” Coach Castle said. “We had a bunch of fans come out and we’re grateful for that fan base and the parents that came out to support us. They had a bunch of fans, too and we wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. To play against a team that was undefeated throughout the year (in region play), they were super competitive. We did not want an easy path. So it was great competition and we loved it.”
