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Show Spartans win volleyball By TOM HARALDSEN Sports Editor FARMINGTON In her many years of coaching at South Davis Junior High, and she's hesitant to say just how many, Sharon Wang-sgard Wang-sgard has instilled in her players one key ingredient no matter what the odds, never give up. So despite a slow season start that puts the Spartans on the verge of not making the playoffs, despite having a number-three seed from the south entering those playoffs, despite having to face unbeaten Farmington in the semifinals, and playing without star Kim Kristen-sen Kristen-sen during the opening round due to illness, South Davis never gave up. Friday, it paid off. The Spartans thumped Mueller Park 15-8 15-4 to take the Davis District championship in finals played at Farmington Junior High. Thus, Wangsgard earned her second district volleyball title, and first since 1981. OBoth teams had overcome the odds even to get to the finals. Mueller Muel-ler Park, seeded second from the south, beat North Davis on Tuesday, Tues-day, while South Davis dropped North Layton. That brought Wednesday's semifinals and the two teams that had gone 5-0 in regular regu-lar season: Farmington and Central Davis. Mueller Park won game one 15-11, then lost 15-13. In the final game, Catherine Pendleton scored the final two points as the Panthers beat Central 15-13. Meanwhile, the Spartans were pulling off their own miracle, thumrjine Farmineton 15-4 in eame lowed with two aces, and then Maureen Newland and Mindy Kir-kham Kir-kham combined on a block, making it 10-4 for South Davis. Pendleton used a dink to earn a sideout for Mueller, and the next two points went to the Panthers. Following another Spartan mistake, mis-take, and an ace by LeeAnne Archibald, it was 1 1-8, but Kristen-sen Kristen-sen followed with two aces, Heather Heath-er Hall scored when her return just crawled over the net, and Kirkham wrapped up the 15-8 win with an ace. South Davis started fast in game two as well, building a quick 7-0 lead as Newland aced, Slack scored on a deep return, Mueller missed three shots, Newland aced again and Slack dinked a winner. Pendleton Pendle-ton again broke the string with a dink of her own to make it 7-1, but Lamb earned two service winners to make it 9-1. The Panthers rallied again, as , Pendleton dinked, killed a shot, and South Davis misfired a third to make it 9-4. Newland responded with a dink, Slack aced, Kirkham killed a shot, Kristensen killed a pointer and Mueller Park misfired, leaving the score 14-4. After a pair of sideouts, a Panther return went wide, and the trophy went to South Davis. For the Panthers, Archibald, Pendleton and Melissa Neville were all marvelous. South Davis got great play from Newland, Lamb, Kirkham, Slack, Heather Hall and Kristensen. And they also got the first junior high title for this season. one (the first game Farmington had lost all season), then losing 15-5. In the third game, Farmington led 14-12 14-12 before South Davis rallied for a 16-14 win. But on Friday, it was all Spartans. Spar-tans. With the score tied at 4-all, Becka Lamb served two winners for the Spartans, and Mueller Park mis-hit a third. Randi Slack fol- |