OREM — The South took center stage as a pair of Region 9 rivals squared off for the fourth time this season in the finals of the 3A state volleyball tournament.

For two and a half games everything went the Dixie Flyers' way, but in the end it was Snow Canyon that came back from the huge deficit to take the title in five hard-fought games, 20-25, 17-25, 25-22, 25-13, 15-9.

Dixie came out of the blocks strong as they wrapped up Game 1 in fine fashion, finishing on two kills by Kristin Loveland, who finished the match with seven kills and four aces.

Game 2 came even easier as Dixie appeared prepared to down their region rivals for the first time this season. Middle blocker Samantha Misa was punishing the Warriors, putting up 10 kills in addition to her ace and five blocks. She was also showing off in the back row, coming up with one amazing dig after another.

And Game 3 started off in similar fashion, making it look like Dixie would make quick work of the Flyers. But down 13-17 in the third game, the Warriors put it all together and gutted out the Game 3 victory.

"I just told them, 'it's time for a gut check,'" said Snow Canyon coach Alaina Parker, who added that aggressiveness was the key to her team's big turnaround.

"I told them that there are no little things, they needed to get their emotions in check, that everybody had a job to do, and they made it so there were no little things. We just started to do everything better," she added.

And when Snow Canyon put everything together to come back in the third game, Dixie seemed to run out of steam.

"It was a tough turnaround. Towards the end we just ran out of gas a little bit. We kind of lost our passing because they got their passing. When they pass well, they're hard to stop," said Dixie coach Stacy Leavitt.

Game 4 was all Snow Canyon as junior middle blocker Anna Nostrant put her attack together and finished with 10 kills, three in the fourth game, and one to send the match into the fifth.

"There was no way we were going to give up, we had a chance to go at it and we took it," said Nostrant, who added, "This is the best feeling in the whole world."

Her teammate and tournament MVP Liz McArthur added 18 kills to the effort, looking unstoppable at times. And Angela Walter finished with nine kills in addition to Mykelle Webster's 44 assists. Taryn Sorenson came on in the fifth game with a lot of heart and made some huge kills for the Warriors.

This was Snow Canyon's first ever state volleyball title. They made it to the final match of the tournament with three easy victories, while Dixie fought through a couple of tough matches in the last two rounds.