CULVER – What a Saturday it was for the Triton volleyball program. Needing a big-time rally in the semi-finals, Triton survived South Central in five games and then used that push to crush North Miami in three to take its second consecutive Class 1-A Culver Volleyball Sectional title.

The championship game Saturday afternoon had the Trojans conquer the Warriors 25-23, 25-16, 25-22 in an exciting final that only could be trumped by the energy of the 25-18, 13-25, 25-18, 15-25, 18-16 win against the Satellites in the day’s first semi-final.

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Video courtesy of Orion Lemler/Triton Trojans Fans

In the championship, Triton jumped ahead 24-21 in the first game, only for North Miami to stay alive with a pair of points. A theme was occurring, however, for the Trojans as Courtney Jennings would block a desperate Warrior attempt for game point.

Brooklyn Bitting would pick up the slack in game two for Triton, registering four blocks for a Triton team not known for its blocking prowess, or net presence in general. The fourth block from Bitting put Triton up 22-14 and the defending champs feeling really good about itself.

“The girls know when they are needed, and they know when to step up,” said Triton head coach Samantha Willsey, who is two-for-two in sectional titles as a second-year coach for the Trojans. “We have had that work for us all season, and today wasn’t any different.”

Jennings would add a big kill in game three, giving Triton a 22-21 lead and the advantage for good.

Triton had major games from Nicole Sechrist and Jaela Meister. When Triton needed a kill to break a rally, Meister got it. Racking up over a half-dozen kills in the third set alone, Meister finished with 23 kills overall. Sechrist, who had seven kills, did more of the support work with three digs and seven aces, including a pair of aces to open game three.

Quinn Downing added 12 digs, Hannah Wanemacher tossed up 28 assists and Meister chipped in seven digs, two aces and a block for good measure.

“Their hitters were predictable and their defense left a lot of gaps where we could put the ball,” Willsey said. “Jaela just got going and we kept feeding it to her. Why not? She was red hot. This team showed they were ready to win a sectional. I’m really proud of this team.”

The repeat championship for Triton (19-13) will give the program a home game in the regional, which it will host Fort Wayne Blackhawk (27-3) in a rematch of the 2014 regional Blackhawk swept from Triton in Fort Wayne. The matchup Tuesday at the Trojan Trench will take place at 7 p.m.

To get to the final, Triton had to survive a big-time challenge from South Central (Union Mills).

“Once we got a little momentum in that fifth game, I felt really good about our chances,” Willsey said of the semi-final. “These girls believed they could win the game, and went out and got the job done.”

Game five was a battle of wills, and neither team budged. The score never got higher than a two-point lead for either team, with Triton rallying to tie the score at 13 after the Satellites claimed a 13-11 lead with the serve. The match then was tied at 15 and progressed until an error by South Central ended it.

Meister had 23 kills in the semis, with Sechrist, Bitting and Jennings combining for 15 winners. Wanemacher had another 35 assists.

North Miami made the final by beating Culver 3-1 in the second semi-final.