LAS VEGAS -- After dropping their first four meetings with Truckee, Calif., this year, including three Northern League meetings, Yerington's Lions figured out how to beat the Wolverines just in time for the Nevada Class 3-A state championship volleyball match.

"All year long, we've been battling how to stop Truckee," said Lion coach Anna Aiazzi, who shares the coaching duties with husband, Jim.

The battle included moving players to different positions. For example, Aiazzi said they moved junior Kiarra Ross to middle blocker and junior Dama Cox to outside hitter.

But when Yerington found itself down by as many as seven points in the first game, everything seemed the same. The Lions, however, would rally to take the first game, 26-24.

Truckee recovered in the second game, leading throughout and taking a 24-19 decision. Yerington controlled the third game, winning 25-19, to take a 2-1 lead.

In the decisive fourth game, Truckee held a 23-20 advantage before Yerington ran off five straight to win the game 25-23 and the match, 3-1, giving the Lions their second consecutive 3-A volleyball title.

Yerington had advanced to the finals by beating Southern champion Pahrump Valley 25-18, 25-21, 25-20 Friday at Silveraldo High School in Las Vegas. Truckee survived a five-setter with Overton Moapa Valley, winning 23-25, 25-15, 25-27, 25-14, 16-14.

Junior Kayla Lommori came up big for the Lions. Truckee had no answer for Lommori's power as she slammed 25 kills, including the match winner. She also recorded 10 blocks.

The performance was enough for tournament MVP honors. Aiazzi said Lommori has always been a great player, but "she really played extremely well today. I don't know how many errors she had, but I don't think there were many."

Lommori praised her teammates for setting her up all night. "The sets were there," she said. "The passes were better. I saw the blocks better."

Lommori added the team's struggles during the season, as well as the doubters, gave the Lions the motivation to take it to another level.

"There were times when people doubted each other, but this game we pulled together and just worked as a team," she said. "We had a passion to beat them, needed to beat them. We had to prove a point because we wanted it."

Aizza said the Lion defense stepped up to the challenge against the hitting power of Truckee seniors Melanie Lashbrook, Alexa Terrell and juniors Nikki Schneider and Callan Finney. Those players still put pressure on Yerington, but the defense held its own.

"They played some defense they really haven't played against this team," Aizza said. "(The Wolverines) have two outside hitters and two middle hitters and they can all put the ball down. You have to play defense, and today we did."

Junior Angela Marraccini had 10 digs and one block to go along with five kills and an ace. Cox recorded three blocks and nine kills. Senior setter Bre Tognoli had five blocks along with 34 assists and two aces.

"(Tognoli) was awesome tonight," Aiazza said. "She just said 'get me the pass and I'll put the ball where it needs to be.'"

Tognoli received tournament First Team honors, as did Ross. Marraccini received honorable mention.

"Our team rose to the occasion today, and I'm just very proud of them," Aiazza said. "Everybody did their jobs."

The coach also expressed appreciation for seniors Mari Cliften and Kyndra Crowell. "They were always positive. They sacrificed for the team. They always pushed those other players."

Aiazza also had high praise for Truckee.

"This year the two best teams really did end up in the championship," she said. "I'm glad we ended up on the winning side, but if we wouldn't have, they're a great team and they would've deserved it, too."

With 10 varsity players returning next year, including Northern 3-A league MVP Lommori, Marraccini, Cox, Ross, and Rani Williams, the Lions have a good chance to make it three in a row. When asked what she thought of that, Aiazza just sighed.

"This one was a lot harder to come by than last year's," she said. "We kind of just cruised through last year and it was like, "Oh my gosh, we just won a state championship.'

"This one, we worked our butts off."