Stansbury may have run into tough competition at the 4A state volleyball tournament on Friday but they sure didn’t get out-played at the McKay Center at Utah Valley University in Orem.

The Stallions fell to Region 7 champion Mountain View in the opening game 3-0, but the scores were so close that a few adjustments in either direction could have changed the outcome.

“I think we could of played better against Mountain View but we were a little intimidated by the atmosphere of state,” said Stansbury volleyball coach Leeah Dahle. “But it was a good season and I don’t want to diminish the fact of what the girls accomplished all year.”

In the consolation bracket, Stansbury had to face off against Springville and dropped the first two games to the Red Devils. The Stallions battled back to win the third game but Springville regrouped to clinch a 3-1 victory and eliminate Stansbury from the tournament.

Mountain View 3 — Stansbury 0

Mountain View scored the first four points in the match and never looked back and they earned the sweep 3-0 by the score of 25-19, 25-20 and 25-22.

Even though Stansbury didn’t earn a game in the match, the entire contest was close and could have gone either way.

Mountain View came out in the first game and looked like they belonged by jumping to an 8-2 lead behind the serve of Sayge Abbott. Stansbury fought back by producing a run of four straight points to cut the Bruin lead to 14-12. A kill from Brenna DeYoung and the serve of Chelsie Newberry helped get the Stallions back in the game.

The score stayed fairly close in the first game but with Mountain View not making many mental mistakes it would be up to Stansbury to earn their points. The Stallions put together a two-point run with the serve of Erica Alvey to take the Bruin lead down to 19-16 but Mountain View worked hard the rest of the way and pulled off the first game 25-19.

Stansbury didn’t let Mountain View grab the first four points in the second game like they did in the first but it was the Bruins that created slight separation at the beginning. The serve of Claire Lewis helped spur a 10-7 opening in the second.

The Stallions could not muster much of a run while Mountain View consistently put together small runs of points. After a kill from Lewis gave the Bruins a 20-12 lead it looked as though Mountain View would cruise to a 2-0 lead.

That is when Stansbury put together three small runs near the end of the match. Their third run, of two points, helped the Stallions get within 22-19 with the serve of Hannah Allred and a kill from Marissa Robbins.

That would be as close as the Stallions would make the second game as Mountain View won the second with a kill from Lewis by the score of 25-20.

Stansbury started of the third game by scoring three straight points spurred by a kill from Robbins. The Stallions couldn’t quite shake the Bruins off but held a 11-9 lead after another kill from Robbins.

With a third game looking more even, Stansbury held a slim 20-19 lead after a block from Robbins but Mountain View put together a run that essentially sealed the match. Five straight points from the Bruins was spurred by a key block from Hawks. The run left Mountain View only one point away from victory at 24-20.

Stansbury scored the next two points just trying to survive but a kill from Lewis sealed the match for Mountain View and sent Stansbury to the consolation bracket.

Springville 3 — Stansbury 1

In another match that could have gone either way, Stansbury rose up to win the third game for their first of the tournament. Unfortunately, that was after already spotting Springville the first two games.

Springville did fight back to win the fourth to avoid a dreaded fifth game with Stansbury. The Red Devils won the match by the score of 25-22, 25-22, 23-25 and 25-21.

Stansbury came out strong in the first game by scoring the first four points of match with the help of the serve of Allred and a kill from Cassidy Christiansen. Springville countered by scoring the following eight points that was capped by a block from Kristin Clark for a 8-4 lead.

Springville held on to a 16-10 lead after a kill from Shea Aldana but that is when Stansbury put together a string of points. A four point run from the Stallions was the most effective as it gave Stansbury a 21-20 lead behind the serve of Alyssa Martell.

Unfortunately for Stansbury, they would only score one more point in the game as Springville finished off the 25-22 win with a kill from Clark.

The second game was so even that neither team could build a run more than three points. Springville earned a four-point run with a kill from Jenny Scott for a 22-19 lead. Stansbury hung with the Red Devils for the entire game but it was Springville that grabbed the 2-0 lead with a kill from Clark.

With Stansbury only one game away from elimination, it was the Stallions that came out strong in the third game. Behind the serve of Allred and a block from Martell, Stansbury jumped out to a 14-11 lead. That lead later expanded to 18-13 with a block from Christiansen.

Springville shot back to tie the game at 22-22 with a kill from Turia Andrus but it was Stansbury that scored three out of the following four points to force a fourth game after a game-clinching kill from Robbins to win 25-23.

Even though Stansbury had a little momentum from winning the third game it was Springville that came out on fire in the fourth. With a kill from Clark, the Red Devils earned a 14-7 lead.

Stansbury fought back with a kill from Christiansen that helped Stansbury cut the Red Devil lead down to 17-14. A three-point run from the Stallions fueled by the serve of Abby McIntyre helped get Stansbury close at 21-19 but that would be as close as the Stallions would come.

A Stansbury serve that sailed long to help Springville advance ended the tournament and season of the Stallions as the Red Devils won 25-21 in the fourth.

“It has just been a pleasure this year to coach these girls because of all the hard work they have put in all year,” Dahle said.

Jake Gordon: jgordon@tooeletranscript.com