High school volleyball: Sister head coaches battle it out as Bountiful defeats Northridge in home opener

There were some questions this summer surrounding Bountiful and whether it can rise to the same success it previously had with 2024 Ms. Volleyball Taylor Harvey. It’s the first year since 2018 that the Redhawks haven’t had one of Taylor Harvey or 2022 Ms. Volleyball Jordyn Harvey on their roster.

While those questions certainly can’t be answered on opening night, Bountiful looked polished in its home opener against Northridge as it won in straight sets 25-13, 25-17 and 25-18.

“I am super excited for them to kind of find their own identity because Taylor was a big piece of our identity, but these girls have got so much talent on their own and this is a really good team,” said Bountiful head coach Kelsie White. “I’m excited for them to kind of make a name for themselves.”

The Redhawks’ returning core established necessary stability in Tuesday’s win over Northridge. Setter Adelaide Stevenson, libero McKinley Duryea and outside hitters Milika Satuala and Paisley Gosney all shined and gave opportunities for newcomers to contribute.

The Stevenson-to-Satuala connection was the clear standout on Tuesday as they connected on more than 20 kills in Bountiful’s win. It’s a connection the two 2024 5A All-state honorees have a lot of experience in, as they’ve been playing together for years.

“(Stevenson) is my best friend and I have played with her for a long time,” Satuala said. “We definitely have chemistry going for us and then it’s just momentum and energy on the court helping us get those kills. And getting a good pass helps get those kills. It’s really everyone’s effort.”

Bountiful looked like a team that knew how to work together — particularly in the opening set, which it won handily 25-13.

The Redhawks made a few more mistakes in the second and third sets, particularly with its serving errors. However, more often than not Bountiful forced Northridge to make a play instead of handing over points via errors, which led to the 3-0 victory.

White also credited some of the continuity on opening night to the effectiveness of Stevenson and Satuala.

“I think just having them as an example to everyone and watching them, and even outside of volleyball too, they’re the sweetest girls ever,” White said. “They have built this culture and they’re just really awesome at maintaining the team dynamic and including everyone, but then on the court they’ve got some good synergy going on.”

Despite being a sophomore, Gosney played like an upperclassman with 10 kills and three blocks in the win.

A familiar rival

Bountiful head coach Kelsie White got to coach against her sister: first-year Northridge head coach Kait Hyde.

“It was so, so sweet,” White said. “I was so proud of her the whole time and it’s hard not to cheer for her too. But we’re also super competitive, so it was it was super fun. I’m so proud of her and it was an honor to play against her in her first game.”

Hyde said having White, who is already an experienced head coach, gave her a leg up coming into her first year.

“(White) gave me so much help to me to prepare for it and get ready for it,” Hyde said. “That’s why we scheduled this game. I also knew the type of program that she has and I think it’s one that I would love to bring into my gym.”

While it wasn’t the result Northridge would’ve liked in its first game of the season, it knows it’s early and that there’s a long way to go. The Knights are coming off a semifinal appearance in 2024, which it lost to the Redhawks.

“I just hope and know that they can overcome the challenges,” Hyde said. “As soon as they get that flow together, I really think that we could have a very successful season.”