Boys volleyball made its eagerly anticipated, long-awaited debut this past spring, and the Olympus Titans made the most of the inaugural season. 

Olympus placed fourth in the Class 5A state tournament and went 24-6 overall. Olympus dominated Region 6, going 11-0 and finishing two and a half games in front of second-place Alta. 

Despite not having a lot of depth, the Titans had a successful campaign and proved to be one of the top teams in the state. 

“Every season has its own identity, and this one is no exception,” head coach Brett Peterson said. “We had an extremely shallow roster going into this season and put a lot of pressure on the guys to stay healthy while also figuring out a unique lineup that let us play to everyone’s strengths. It was a fun challenge that required a lot of flexibility and selflessness from our guys that has been inspiring to me as a coach. This group of boys has been extremely special to coach, and as a coaching staff we’re really going to miss the group of seniors that have helped us lead this 2024 group throughout a really fun season.” 

In the 5A tournament, Olympus went in as the No. 2 seed, securing a first-round bye. In the second round, the Titans took care of No. 15 Cedar Valley 25-21, 27-25, 25-21. A quarterfinals win over No. 10 Skyline followed. Olympus had already defeated the Eagles twice during the season, and the Titans prevailed this time around in a tough 3-2 contest. Olympus outlasted Skyline 23-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-19, 16-14. 

“Our match against Skyline in the quarterfinals was a highlight for us,” Peterson said. “Skyline was playing the best volleyball we’ve seen them play all season, and we went down 2-1 in sets due to some offensive struggles, serving inconsistencies and extraordinary defense on Skyline’s side of the net. Our boys did a fantastic job going into set four playing with a lot of urgency and doubling down on the offense that got them there in the first place. In the deciding fifth set, we were able to get a few points ahead behind some impressive kills and timely blocks. Skyline made a late run to tie the game at 14-14 before our boys were able to overpower the Skyline defense and pull ahead to win 16-14 to move on to the semifinals.”    

The Titans fell to a tough Bountiful team, seeded third, three games to one. The Titans had defeated the Redhawks earlier in the season 3-2. Olympus then lost in the third-fourth matchup to Spanish Fork two games to one, 26-24, 20-25, 25-23. 

“The boys came into state with high expectations for themselves as well as a healthy level of respect for some of the other teams out there in the state. Finishing top four out of 28 teams in 5A is a fantastic place to start in our inaugural season of sanctioned volleyball, and we’re excited to try to carry that momentum forward as we retool and start our preparations for the 2024 season.” 

Though the Titans came up a little short of winning a state title, Peterson was pleased with the way the boys played. 

“I was most excited about how well the boys supported each other through the highs and lows of the tournament,” he said. “I think it’s easy for guys to play a little selfishly in these big tournaments, and every guy on the team was locked in on playing for each other and trying to make the team succeed. We have had one of the most potent offenses in the state this year, and the state tournament was a really fun stage for our boys to show off that offense.”

Peterson appreciated the strong play of middle blocker Reef Smylie, who had 39 kills, 14 blocks, 30 digs and seven aces in the state tournament. 

“[Smylie] had a huge tournament,” Peterson said. “He’s been so flexible throughout his time at Olympus, and his willingness to step up and help the team win in all kinds of ways makes him a dream to coach.”

Middle blocker Soren Jepsen, who has committed to play at the next level at Brigham Young University, was also a big factor in Olympus season and state turn. The 6-foot-10-inch player was 5A’s Player of the Year. In the tournament, he had 37 kills, 12 blocks and a .318 hitting percentage. 

“[Jepsen] was huge for us and helped us get out of a lot of tight spots throughout the tournament,” Peterson said. “He gives our team a lot of confidence knowing that we always have the ability to put away a ball if we are able to make good defensive plays. He consistently drew the attention of the whole defense of the other team, which opened up a lot of options for the rest of our guys.”

Peterson also highlighted the efforts of team captain Miles Burningham. The senior outside hitter had 59 kills, a .195 hitting percentage, 39 digs, eight blocks and 10 aces. 

“[Burningham] is a joy to coach, and we’re absolutely going to miss his leadership on the team,” he said. “His example and consistent leadership by example is one of the primary drivers of our success throughout the season as well as one of the reasons why we were able to fight through a lot of tough spots throughout the state tournament.”

Next season could look different for the Titans.

Olympus will have some new faces in the starting lineup, and Peterson will rely on different leaders. Still, he expects the team to compete, even though the outlook may not be quite as strong. He will welcome back rising outside hitter Yuse Jones, who will be a senior. Peterson said Jones “has been huge” for the team. There’s also incoming junior setter Gabriel Lincoln, who led the state in assists this past season with 1,081.

“2025 is going to represent a bit of a reset in expectations for us,” Peterson said. “We have been a top-five team in the state for a long time, and we have a long way to go if we want to compete at that level going into the next season. While we may not be in a position to compete for a state title, our plan is to treat next year as foundational in resetting our program for success in the coming years. We have a lot of young players with a ton of talent, and we’re excited to help them develop those talents as we continue to grow the Olympus volleyball program.”   λ