4A Girls Volleyball: Marshall feeds hitters as Orem cruises into semifinals
-
- Orem junior setter Amelia Marshall (center) sets the ball against Wasatch in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- The Orem girls volleyball team celebrates a service ace by Madi Scott (3) against Wasatch in the 4A quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Provo’s Lupe Fonohema attacks against Cedar City in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Provo girls volleyball players celebrate a point against Cedar City in the 4A quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Orem’s Meilani Akana (2) takes a swing against Wasatch in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- The Orem girls volleyball team celebrates a point against Wasatch in the 4A quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Orem’s Madi Scott (3) takes a swing against Wasatch in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Orem’s Madi Scott serves the ball against Wasatch in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Orem’s Madi Scott (3) attacks against Wasatch in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Orem’s Meilani Akana (right) passes the ball against Wasatch in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Orem’s Haven Michaelis serves the ball against Wasatch in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Provo’s Mila Chrisman serves the ball against Cedar City in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Provo’s Meliana Chrisman sets the ball against Cedar City in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Provo’s Lexi Carter passes the ball against Cedar City in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
-
- Provo’s Nivale Magalei serves the ball against Cedar City in the 4A girls volleyball quarterfinals at the UCCU Center on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
To prepare for her opportunity to take over as Orem’s starting setter, Amelia Marshall had to have something teenagers usually display infrequently: Patience.
For four seasons Sarah Page led the Tigers offense, accumulating 3,603 assists while Orem posted a 101-27 record and claimed 4A state championships in 2023 and 2024. Sarah and her twin sister, Scarlett, are playing this season at Florida SouthWestern State College.
Cue Marshall, a junior who played in 21 sets and had 24 assists on varsity last season, to step in.
The transition has been a little chaotic, especially early in the season when injuries and freshman sensation Meilani Akana playing with the Brazil U-19 national team overseas made things a bit tricky.
The Tigers — the No. 1 seed in the 4A girls volleyball state tournament for the fourth year in a row — look like they are on the right track after sweeping both matches on Thursday at the UCCU Center, dispatching No. 16 Timpanogos (25-14, 25-17, 25-14) and No. 8 Wasatch (25-14, 25-12, 25-17).
“I like that we’re finally finding ‘team,’ Orem coach Bill Sefita said. “I think it’s one thing that we’ve been working on all season is how do we prepare ourselves mentally and physically outside of practice so that when we come on the court, we’re playing as a team? We’ve already taken care of ourselves, and we’re ready to engage in team stuff.”
Marshall entered the tournament with 899 assists (9.7 per set) and the Tigers have now won 24 matches in a row.
“I think Amelia is a coachable kid,” Sefita said. “That’s the dream of every coach is to have a player who is hungry for feedback and always willing to work. And she’s that player. She comes in every day. She does her film. She does outside work, where she’s working on her strength and her agility, and it’s paying off for us.”
Marshall has some dynamic hitters to feed. Akana had a late start but is perhaps the state’s top freshman. She had 16 kills in the quarterfinals against Wasatch, with senior Haven Michaelis notching 10 and junior Madi Scott adding seven. With junior middle Callie Eudis back in the lineup after missing some playing time due to injury and talented young players such as sophomores Lynnea Samani and Moana Havea, the Tigers have one of the deepest pool of hitters in the tournament.
“I think it’s really important just putting confidence in each hitter,” Marshall said. “As long as they know I believe in them, I feel like they can go and kill the ball. After watching Sarah and the impact she had on the team, I feel like that inspired me to fill those shoes and do the best I can to be a leader on the court, to push myself out of my comfort zone.”
Orem (27-3) will face No. 4 Desert Hills in one of Friday morning’s semifinals with revenge on their minds: The Thunder upset the Tigers in the 4A final last season.
“I think we’re still finding ourselves, but it’s one of those things,” Sefita said. “It’s like every game you remind them that we’re not asking for perfection. We’re asking for progress. It’s all we’ve got to focus on.”
Thursday’s other results
No. 3 Provo also advanced to the semifinals, sweeping both No. 14 Hurricane (25-11, 25-22, 25-18) and No. 6 Cedar City (25-18, 25-22, 25-19).
“What I always love about our team is they are just fierce,” Bulldogs coach Stefani Magalei said. “They are just gritty and determined. Anybody who watches us in warm-ups sees we’re completely undersized, but we always find a way. We serve bullets, we pass nails and we’re really smart. Our volleyball IQ was really high today.”
Leading 1-0, Provo broke open a close second set that was tied at 17-all. Meliana Chrisman contributed a pair of blocks and Rosabelle Campos added an ace as the Bulldogs stretched out to a22-17 lead. A Chrisman kill got Provo to 24-21 and a Cedar City error ended it at 25-22.
Set 3 was also competitive and Provo edged out to a 22-19 lead on a Chrisman roll shot. The senior was lethal at the net all match and her block, followed by a kill out of the middle, finished the sweep.
Magalei also complimented senior middle Lupe Fonohema for her play against a stubborn Cedar City squad in the quarterfinals.
“She was big time for us,” Magalei said. “She was a big horse in the middle. She hit shots we’ve been working on and she hit them consistently.”
The Bulldogs (26-4) will face No. 2 seed Green Canyon (27-2) in Friday’s semifinals. The Wolves swept Provo earlier this season at the Utah Valley Invitational.
I just really liked the fight in our girls,” Magalei said. “We came in with the game plan and checked Day 1. Now we’re focused on Day 2.”
In first round action, No. 8 Wasatch outlasted No. 9 Murray 3-2 (25-18, 21-25, 21-25, 25-18, 16-14); No. 12 Mountain View fell to No. 5 Crimson Cliffs in five (22-25, 15-25, 25-17, 25-19, 15-9) and No. 3 Provo buried No. 14 Hurricane 3-0 (25-11, 25-22, 25-18).
In consolation play, Timpanogos topped No. 9 Murray 2-1 (16-25, 25-19, 25-22) and faces Mountain View, a 2-0 (27-25, 25-23) winner against No. 13 Dixie, Friday morning for a spot in the 6th-8th place match. In Region 8 play, the Bruins won both matches (3-0 and 3-2).
High School
4A Girls Volleyball: Marshall feeds hitters as Orem cruises into semifinals
To prepare for her opportunity to take over as Orem’s starting setter, Amelia Marshall had to have something ...
Prep Scoreboard 10-30
