Skyline's girls volleyball team came within a set of a state championship in October 2025. Now, with six returning contributors and head coach Mondo Begay entering his 10th year at the helm, the Eagles are picked to finish second in Region 6 and contend again in Class 5A.

The Eagles went 21-7 in 2025, finishing second in Region 6 with a 9-3 league mark and earning the No. 3 RPI ranking in 5A. They swept Alta and Bountiful in the early playoff rounds, beat Fremont 3-1 in the semifinals, then pushed defending champion Woods Cross to five sets in the Oct. 30, 2025, title match at the UCCU Center in Orem before falling 3-2.

That loss still stings.

It echoed a prior championship defeat to the same Wildcats program, also decided in the fifth set.

Who's gone, who's back

The biggest departure is 5A MVP Isa Taylor, who signed with the University of Montana. Taylor anchored the 2025 attack, and replacing her production is the central question of the preseason.

Six players return with varsity experience. Senior middle blocker Norah Pearce and senior pin hitter Bailey Bennett both earned postseason recognition, with Bennett named Second Team All-State and Pearce receiving Honorable Mention. Bailey's twin sister Brooke Bennett, a Third Team All-State selection, is also back.

The underclass group is headlined by sophomore setter Eva Lotulelei, who earned Honorable Mention All-State as a freshman. Junior pin hitter Evelyn Vargas and sophomore pin hitter Ella West round out the returning core.

"Excited for the season, have a good group of girls coming back and ready to compete," Begay told the Deseret News in preseason capsules published Aug. 5.

The road through Region 6

Woods Cross, which went 30-1 and won its first state title since 1979, returns five starters and opens 2026 as the preseason No. 1 in 5A. The Wildcats are the clear favorite in Region 6.

Behind them, Skyline is projected second. Bountiful and Brighton round out the top half of the region.

What's next

The 5A season opens the week of Wednesday, Aug. 12. Skyline's first scheduled home match is Sept. 1 at 5:30 p.m. against Bountiful, according to the Deseret News schedule page. The full nonconference slate has not been confirmed.