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Estelle Slaney of Skyridge (in block) dives after a ball against Corner Canyon during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Sienna Kuresa of Skyridge (9) takes a swing against Corner Canyon during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Allyceia Maae of Skyridge (right) and Leah Schaub of Corner Canyon compete for a ball during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Corner Canyon's Berlkeigh Minnick serves against Skyridge during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Estelle Slaney of Skyridge serves against Corner Canyon during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Sienna Warner of Skyridge serves against Corner Canyon during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Sienna Kuresa of Skyridge takes a swing against Corner Canyon during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Anzlee Holt of Skyridge takes a swing against Corner Canyon during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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The Skyridge girls volleyball team celebrates scoring a point against Corner Canyon during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Skyridge girls volleyball coach Taylor Hifo (right) gives instructions during a Region 3 match against Corner Canyon on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Allyceia Maae of Skyridge (23) delivers a back set against Skyridge during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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The Skyridge girls volleyball team celebrates scoring a point against Corner Canyon during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Corner Canyon's Maija Mortensen (9) rises up for a block against Skyridge during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

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Corner Canyon's Berkleigh Minnick (26) takes a swing against Skyridge during a Region 3 girls volleyball match on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

Darnell Dickson, Daily Herald

❮ ❯

The Skyridge girls volleyball team is doing the work.

The belief and trust are coming.

Thursday’s five-set loss to top-ranked Corner Canyon showed just how close the Falcons are to breaking through and having a big year.

Head coach Taylor Hifo saw it.

“I think they (the team) is starting to see it,” Hifo said. “But you’ve got to have belief. I think the kids see those rankings and it player with their minds. I really just want them to start believing.”

The match was the marquee event of the Class 6A season so far. Corner Canyon and Skyridge are 1-2 in the UHSAA RPI and the Chargers are No. 15 nationally in the MaxPreps rankings. The two programs met in last year’s 6A final (won 3-1 by Corner Canyon) and the Chargers turned in a 3-0 sweep of the Falcons in Draper on Sept. 15.

This one was much closer, with Corner Canyon having to dig deep and fight back from 2-1 deficit. The Chargers won Set 4 and jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the fifth. A kill from Sienna Kuresa and an ace from Hevani Tokelau stirred a Skyridge rally that pulled the home team with three at 10-7. But Corner Canyon scored three quick points and won the match at 15-9 on a swing from Berkleigh Minnick.

“We just talked about how we’ve been putting a lot of work into certain things in practice and I saw it manifest in the match tonight,” Hifo said. “But I just feel like our belief and our trust is just missing a little bit. We really just want to hone in on that in the next couple of weeks, just figuring out that belief in each other and also the belief that we can do great things this year, because the work is there.”

Corner Canyon (19-2 overall, 6-0 6A Region 3) has been a dominant force in Utah prep volleyball this season. The Chargers boasted a 36-2 set record against in-state opponents coming into Thursday’s match and their only two losses came in the prestigious Durango (Nev.) Classic to the No. 2 team in the MaxPreps rankings (Sierra Canyon, Calif.) and the No. 10 team (Torrey Pines, Calif.).

Skyridge (19-5, 3-2) started strong with great service pressure and defense in the first set. A Kuresa kill and an ace from sophomore Sienna Warner broke the Falcons loose from a 15-15 tie to an 18-15 lead. At set point, Lucy Meck powered down a kill on a slide attack for the 25-19 victory.

Corner Canyon responded with fury in Set 2, jumping out to a 10-1 lead and cruising to a 25-16 win to even the match at 1-1.

Kuresa and Meck combined on a block in Set 3 to give Skyridge a 15-14 lead it would not give up. Kills from Kuresa and Warner pushed the home team’s advantage to 22-18 and a couple of Corner Canyon errors ended the set at 25-19.

The Chargers controlled the fourth set from the start and led by seven, 14-7, after turning away a Falcons attack with a double block. They cruised to a 25-17 win to force the fifth set.

Minnick led Corner Canyon with 18 kills and had plenty of help on offense from 6-foot-4 junior Maija Mortensen, Maria Schwalger, Leah Schaub and Marissa Faamatogi in fending off the upset.

Emma White led Skyridge with 15 kills and Kuresa added 12. The Falcons totaled 14 aces, led by libero Estelle Slaney with five and Tokelau and Warner with four each. Slaney also added 17 digs for Skyridge.

“We work so hard on serving,” Hifo said. “That’s one of the things we go into a match knowing is we want to serve tough into the seams. We’re just hoping we can keep that consistent throughout the match and we know it’s going to help us win games moving forward.”

Corner Canyon is participating in the Ridgeline Tournament this weekend and Skyridge will prepare to host Lone Peak next Tuesday.