Papillion-La Vista had a two-set lead to play with in the Class A state volleyball championship match.

History, however, indicated that the top-ranked Monarchs needed to play with urgency. That was enough to provide the incentive to overcome a 20-14 Papillion-La Vista South third-set lead and close out a 25-22, 25-21, 25-23 victory over the No. 7 cross-town rival Titans on Saturday at the NU Coliseum.

The Monarchs' only loss in a 41-1 season came in five sets to Omaha Marian after leading 2-0 in sets in the finals of the Omaha Westside Invitational. The miracle Titans (25-13), who knocked off No. 3 Grand Island in the first round, wiped out a two-set semifinal deficit to topple Omaha Marian on Friday and reach the finals in their first-ever state tournament appearance.

"We knew we needed to be on top of everything because they (Papillion-La Vista South) weren't going to let a ball drop until the final point was over," said Papillion-La Vista coach JJ Toczek, whose team won its second straight state championship. The Monarchs have five titles total, the other three coming between 2000 and 2003 when Papillion-La Vista South's Gwen Egbert coached the Monarchs.

"We wanted to get this over in three if at all possible because you never know what can happen," Toczek added.

A fourth set seemed likely when a kill off a slide by the Titans' Justine Buskirk made it 20-14.

"I was just hoping we could come back a little so we'd have momentum going into the fourth," said senior Super-State setter Chelsey Feekin, who had nine kills, three blocks and 34 assists. "That was insane how we came back. We went on a run and the people at the net were incredible."

The Monarchs had five ace blocks in the final 11-3 run. Two from 6-1 sophomore middle blocker Chelsea Albers were part of a 7-1 spurt, which ended when Joslyn Bunger directed a block to the sideline to tie it at 21.

A Monarch service error gave the Titans their last lead at 23-22. Nebraska recruit Gina Mancuso slammed the last of her match-high 25 kills to tie it. Then reserve middle Kylee McLaughlin recorded her ninth ace block all season to move Papillion-La Vista to match point.

Mancuso ended it by smothering a Buskirk slide for her fourth ace block of the match.

The first two sets were almost as competitive. The Monarchs, ranked ninth nationally by PrepVolleyball.com, were clinging to a one-point advantage in the first set when the left-handed Feekin slammed down an Emilee Soucie dig set to make it 24-22. A Mancuso back-row kill finished it off.

It was 23-21 in the second when a Feekin dump found a hole in the Titan defense and Mancuso powered through the block on set point.

"Coach (Toczek) warned us, but I didn't think they'd be tough because we'd beaten them before," Feekin said, referring to the Monarchs' previous four wins over Papillion-La Vista South this season. "But now I can understand how they beat Grand Island and Omaha Marian. They were tough."

Buskirk, a 6-foot senior, had 15 kills and two ace blocks, while 5-11 senior Bre Brandt added to her tournament total with 14 kills and putting up 17 assists. She had 46 kills and 36 assists in the first two matches combined.

"We played really well, as well as we could," said Egbert, who started the Titan program when the school opened in the fall of 2003. "With their size and block at the net, it was like David and Goliath out there. We did everything we could, but Gina Mancuso is really good, and so is Feekin."

Reach Ron Powell at 473-7437 or rpowell@journalstar.com.