This article recaps a segment from The Rush's Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026 episode. Watch the full show.
Cedar Reds senior Shawni Larson said something changed for her team in a 3-1 win at Crimson Cliffs on Oct. 13. "I think our Crimson game is when we all felt a switch," she said.
Larson credited a message from her coach. "During tough games, she says it's a dogfight, and that's what it is. It's whoever wants it more," she said. "It was just everything we had all the time. It was really just whoever was willing not to give up, and that's what we did. We never let up."
Many of the Reds have played together for about 10 years. Larson said setter Oakley "Oaks" Allen has been her setter for all but one season. "She's such a stable player," Larson said. "Especially during the Crimson game, I think she was someone that we just relied on, and she just kept us going."
Libero Kaycee Taysom brings a different kind of calm. "She doesn't really get rattled," Larson said. "She can shank a ball and then the next ball, she's gonna dime it. When emotions are high, like they were in the Crimson game, you turn to Kaycee and she's just like, let's go."
Captain Kendyl Harrison "holds a high standard for the team," Larson said. "You just want to follow her." And Alexandra "Alex" Esplin brings energy. "In a perfect world, everybody should be Alex's teammate once," Larson said. "She gets a kill, and it's just like electricity in your veins."
Larson had four aces against Crimson Cliffs. She said serving is mostly mental. "If I go back there and I'm like, you can't miss a serve, I miss a serve," she said. "So I tell myself, you're making this serve. You're the best server on this team. And it usually goes over."
She has played setter, outside, right side and middle at Cedar, and she now plays middle. "I'm really grateful for my coaches. They've put me everywhere," she said. "I think it's easier to respect everyone and work together better with everyone."
Cedar played at rival Canyon View that night and lost 3-2, according to MaxPreps. The Reds host Snow Canyon on Thursday, Oct. 22. (Read our interview with Canyon View's Kiersten Attig.)