TULSA — Greer DeLeon sensed an energy shift from one year to the next.

During her second straight trip to the Class 5A state volleyball finals, the junior outside hitter left her nerves in the past. She noticed composure in her Bishop McGuinness teammates, too.

“Even when we got errors, we came back,” DeLeon said. “We were settled. We were ready.”

The Fighting Irish needed that even-keeled mentality in a match peppered with lead changes and ties. With a late surge, top-ranked McGuinness defeated No. 3 Tulsa Booker T. Washington, 3-1 (25-22, 21-25, 25-17, 25-17), on Saturday at Tulsa Union to secure the program’s first state title since 2003 and its second in school history.

Twenty years separate the championship squads, but Kelli Miller is the common denominator.

Miller, an outside hitter on the 2003 team, added to McGuinness’ trophy case Saturday as the head coach.

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“It is a full-circle moment,” Miller said. “It feels absolutely amazing. I’m so proud of the girls, and I’m proud that they get to experience the joy that comes with that.”

Miller nearly led the Irish to a championship last season, but Mount St. Mary ended the run with a finals sweep. Although McGuinness had to settle for second place, DeLeon said that postseason history led to a calmer mentality in Saturday’s finals.

The Irish (31-4) leaned on experience from nine seniors, including libero Taylor Vann and setter Clare Kierl, known as “Red Lightning” to peers because of her auburn hair and ability to spark the team.

But on a seasoned roster, a freshman clinched the victory.

When Booker T. Washington sophomore Carly Alexander attempted a fourth-set kill, middle blocker Arielle Yapi rose above the net and swatted the ball, ending the match with her perfectly-timed block.

“She’s cool as a cucumber,” Miller said. “You can’t ruffle that girl. Same with our defensive specialist Kenzie Smith, who is also a freshman.”

There were plenty of moments when the Irish could have let the close match rattle them.

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McGuinness and Booker T. Washington reached eight ties in the first set, while the second featured 11. Although the Irish swept most opponents during the regular season, the Hornets (28-12) claimed one set in the finals with leadership from sophomore outside hitter Arriana Brown, who provided three quick kills toward the end of the set.

To counter Brown’s offense, DeLeon and Yapi teamed up at the net. They also showed their hitting abilities along with Charlotte Nelson and Olivia Metz, creating an advantage with a balanced attack. Metz, a junior, delivered the kill that brought McGuinness’ fourth-set lead to 24-17, setting the stage for Yapi’s block.

For Miller, the championship carried extra sentimentality because she shared it with family. Morgan Roy, her sister, is a McGuinness assistant, while their mother, Teddi Roy, is a McGuinness former head coach who also serves on the staff.

“It feels kind of surreal,” Miller said. “I love experiencing it with them, experiencing the highs and lows with them.

“But mostly I’m excited for (the team). They wanted it so bad. They knew they had to fight for it, and they fought until the end.”

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Jenks claims second Class 6A title in 3 years

Kynli Kirkendoll wanted to end her high school career with a big moment.

Needing only one point for a victory over defending champion Edmond Memorial, Kirkendoll took the final swing. The Jenks middle blocker leapt and spiked the ball to end the match, delivering the kill off an assist from Izzy Hinds.

Suddenly, the Trojans were state champions.

Second-ranked Jenks stormed past No. 4 Edmond Memorial, 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-15), on Saturday in Tulsa for the program’s second state title in a three-year span. After falling to the Bulldogs in five sets during last year’s finals, the Trojans avenged the loss.

“I knew we were gonna win because our team was so determined, and we were all ready for it,” Kirkendoll said. “So I just wanted to be the one to put the ball in.”

After controlling the first set, the Trojans (33-5) traded leads with the Bulldogs in the second. Senior outside hitter Maren Johnson provided Jenks’ final points of the second set with a trio of kills, and the Trojans relied on a stout defense anchored by senior libero Caroline Wood.

At the net, Kirkendoll, Lola Ojo and Juliana Borchers countered Edmond Memorial’s offense with strong blocks. Standout middle blockers Lolufe Adedeji and Annie Hopkins provided crucial kills for Edmond Memorial (29-6), but the Trojans always quelled the Bulldogs’ rallies.

“We made sure to focus on who was the go-to hitter in each of their rotations, who they wanted to put the ball away,” said Jenks coach Tanna Smith. “... We definitely shaded our block toward whoever their strongest attacker was and just tried to upset their flow.”

After the close second set, the Trojans broke away in the third. Ojo provided a block to tie the set at 11, and Johnson followed with a booming kill for the lead. The Trojans never trailed again.

“I love that we won in three,” Smith said. “I thought that was awesome. The girls did a great job competitively responding every single time, and they made sure to execute.

“... You just prepare for the long haul, and if you get it earlier, all the better.”

Jay wins Unified volleyball title

Jay defeated Piedmont, 2-1, for the Special Olympics Unified state volleyball title on Saturday at Tulsa Union.

Jay took the first set, 25-20, but Piedmont responded with a 25-18 victory in the second set. Then Jay squeezed out a 15-13 third set to clinch the match.

Jay defeated Duncan to reach the finals, while Piedmont claimed a semifinal win against Owasso.

Unified teams bring together students with and without intellectual disabilities, working toward the goal of “ promoting social inclusion,” according to the Special Olympics website.

Hallie Hart covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Hallie? She can be reached at hhart@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at@halliehart. Sign up forThe Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Hallie's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing adigital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school volleyball: McGuinness wins Class 5A state title