“How you face adversity is the measure of who you are,” was the message Bingham High volleyball coach Melissa Glasker delivered to her team following its shocking four-set quarterfinal loss to Lehi in the 5A state volleyball tournament Nov. 7. The Miners responded with a dominating 3-0 sweep of Fremont in the consolation bracket before defeating Riverton in four games to take fifth place in the state.

“What happened at state was not what we had thought it would be,” Glasker said. “We wanted a state title, and we worked for it. But that is adversity; that is life. You sometimes don’t get what you think is owed to you.”

Bingham spent most of the year with the top ranking in the state, won its own Claim Jumper tournament in early October and entered the state tournament on an 18-match winning streak. In the first round of the tournament, Bingham defeated Syracuse 3-0 before reaching the quarterfinals.

The Miners found themselves facing Lehi at state in the same round for the second year in a row. In 2013, Lehi was expected to win and Bingham knocked them to the consolation bracket in a five-set thriller. This year, with Bingham as the favorite, Lehi rebounded from losing the first set to win the rematch.

Glasker noted the contributions of her “six-pack,” six seniors who have been instrumental in the team’s 51-8 record the past two seasons that have ended in two top-five finishes.

Megan Boudreaux, who will play for the University of Utah next fall, showed the biggest transformation this season, according to Glasker.

“I noticed this summer at the U of U camp, Megan was watching the current players, realizing that she would be there with them next year, and that made a big impact on her,” Glasker said. “She’s worked really hard and has really emerged and found herself this year.”

Glasker said senior Vaofua Kaili, who is undecided among college opportunities, along with her daughter Torre, a junior, were the other team leaders throughout the year in helping Bingham to a 24-3 record.

Seniors Lexi English, who committed to Western Wyoming, Gracey Tuifua, who will play for Westminster College, and Sisilia Tausinga and Alana Zander complete the “six-pack” of seniors that Bingham will be replacing next year.

Also on the 2014 team were juniors Salote Havili, Victoria Ok, Ellie Pack and Shea Rasmussen; sophomores Marissa Berry, Megan Gurr, Madeline Holman, Baylie Huntsman, Courtney Isom, Makena Pratt, Atalina Pritchard, Taryn Rayburn, Gabbi Shunway, Olivia Siddoway and Callie Whitney; and freshmen Kennedy Beck, Olivia Boudreaux, Kendzee Cloward, Seleisa Elisaia, Annissa Kehl, Gabriella Langi, Talia Myers and Katherine Nguyen.

“I love these girls, and even those the expectations were there, they did not disappoint me in the slightest,” Glasker said. “Sometimes, I feel like we’re forgetting what the real value of sports is and what we can learn from them. This is life, and we went out and proved that we can overcome adversity.”