The No. 1 ranked Emery Lady Spartans closed out the home portion of the 2023 volleyball schedule with an impressive 3-1 win over the No. 2 Carbon Lady Dinos Thursday night at the Spartan Center in Castle Dale.

The Lady Spartans set the tempo in the first match, earning a 25-17 win. Carbon answered back immediately with an impressive 25-18 set. Emery would go on to win the next two 25-19 and 25-23, earning the win in four sets.

Meeting for the second and final time this regular season, Emery secured a season-series split with Carbon in the process.

Entering Thursday’s highly anticipated matchup, the two teams held the top two spots in the 3A RPI with only two games remaining in the regular season. The win for Emery not only gives them the edge over Carbon in the rankings, but also a one game lead in the Region 12 standings.

The Lady Spartans now hold a record of 24-4 overall and 10-3 in region play. The season split with Carbon and Manti means that Emery has wrapped up at least a share of the Region 12 crown. With one more game remaining on the schedule, Emery can wrap up the division title with a win over Richfield Tuesday night.

Entering the week as the No. 1 ranked team, the Carbon Lady Dinos have now dropped two straight games, slipping to 9-4 in division play in the process. Still expected to be a top three team in the RPI, Carbon will have an opportunity to get back in the win column Tuesday night on the road against North Sanpete.

The Utah High School Activities Association is now hidden for the remainder of the regular season. The final standings will be released Wednesday morning, setting the stage for the 2023 state tournament.