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GARDEN CORNERS -- This has been a long time coming for the Superior Central Cougars.
The Cougars captured their first Division 3 district volleyball title in nine years here Friday night, earning a 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-20) triumph over the North Dickinson Nordics.
A kill by senior Riley Johnson sealed the verdict, sending the Cougars to the regional opener at North Dickinson where they'll face Forest Park Tuesday at 7 p.m (EST).
"I was thinking, 'oh my God, we just did that,'" said Johnson. "We've been on the same team since seventh grade. We have a bond that's unbreakable. I think pulling out the second set really helped us.
"It's a game of errors. We noticed they were kind of down in the third set."
Superior Central built a 23-14 advantage in the third set, then was foiled by a hitting error.
North Dickinson closed within 24-20 prior to Johnson's match-clinching kill.
The Cougars gained a 7-2 lead on a service ace by Maggie Rondeau in the finale.
After a sideout, senior Ashton Hord served for six straight points, helping the Nordics gain a 9-7 lead.
Superior Central was clinging to a 12-11 lead before a kill by Emma Rutter put them up by two points.
Charlotte Charlebois followed with a five-point run climaxed by another kill by Rutter, giving the Cougars an 18-11 cushion before the Nordics battled within four points.
"They had a couple girls who matched up with some of our taller girls, although we were a little taller overall," said Cougars' coach Kris Bray. "One of our team goals was to make a run in the tournaments. Our team chemistry is real good, and the girls are working real hard. I thought we played relatively error-free."
The Cougars led 14-7 in the second set following a kill by Riley Moore before the Nordics rallied to tie the score at 16 on an ace by senior Kassandra Cary.
Superior Central regained a lead which it held until a block by Cary tied the score at 23, then trailed for the first time following a error.
The Cougars then got a sideout on a service error, regained the lead on a two-hit violation and clinched that set on a net violation.
"They had a quick set to Moore in the front row, and she delivered," said Nordics coach Taylor Johnson. "I think their height advantage was a factor, and they were quicker getting to the net. I really thought we had that one. Then, the momentum went back in their favor. We're really proud of our season. We won a lot of matches and learned a lot in our losses."
The Nordics held a 16-11 lead in the opener following a kill by junior Micah Lindholm, then committed a series of miscues which enabled the Cougars to take a 17-16 lead.
A kill by senior Chrislyn Inglese tied the score before the Cougars took the lead for good on a kill by Emily Augustyn.
An ace by Inglese brought the Nordics within 23-20 before a passing miscue ended that set.
"The quick set to Riley (Moore) is something we added after we played them at our place (in a 3-1 victory on Sept. 30)," said Bray. "They hadn't seen that before. They (Nordics) never quit. They kept battling and served well. What I think it boiled to is they couldn't adapt quick enough to our quick offense."