Expectations for Wednesday night's Sunnyslope-Gilbert girls volleyball match were high. The No. 3 and 4 teams, respectively, in the Division I power rankings figured to play barn-burner sets from start to finish. The finishing set was the lone thriller, however, and allowed Gilbert to escape a 3-1 victor over visiting Sunnyslope. Scores were 25-13, 18-25, 25-15 and 30-28.

"It was a lot more fun playing the last 15 points of that last set," Gilbert coach Joe Hesse said. "Our goal is get that first serve and get the opponent out of system. When both teams played the way they were supposed to you saw what can happen."

Gilbert (15-3 overall, 8-1 power-ranking matches) alternated lopsided set triumphs with Sunnyslope as scores indicated before the teams settled into a play-making overtime fourth set. Sunnyslope managed a four-point lead early, but was never more than a two-point difference from Sunnyslope's 14-12 ladvantage. Sunnyslope had two chances (up 24-23 and 27-26) at set point to send the match to a fifth set, but couldn't convert. Gilbert middle Alexa Rockas' kill tied the match at 24. A Sunnyslope service error gave Gilbert life it made the most of a few points later.

Gilbert got  three shots at match-point before it prevailed. Tted at 28, kills by middle blocker Krystal Blair and outside Makenna Martin sent Sunnyslope home frustrated.

"I don't have much to say," Sunnyslope coach Amber LeTarte said. "We were all over the place. A couple of sets we couldn't get a dig."

Sunnyslope, 17-4 overall and 8-2 in power-ranking matches, is holding its own in making the move as the dominant program in D-II to a worthy D-I foe. Sunnyslope's power-ranking losses are to Xavier and Gilbert and it handed defending D-I champ Desert Vista its only power-ranking loss to date. The Vikings also lost to Gilbert a couple weeks ago in three-set match at the Tournament of Champions Invite at Westwood. Last weekend Sunnyslope finished runner-up in the top division of the annual La Jolla (Calif) Coastal Classic.

Statistical leaders for Gilbert were Katilyn Lines (19 kills), Martin (12 kills and 22 digs), Kamryn HIll (25 digs), Blair (9 kills and 6 blocks) and Sam Boever (49 assists). For Sunnyslope outside hitter Skylar Wine had 16 kills and teammates Emma Wright, Miranda Bacon and Tatiana Johnson added eight kills each. Setter Katie Oleksak had 43 assists and two aces.

Gilbert came out smoking in the opening set spreading the wealth on the attack among Martin, Lines, Tiffany Hurd and Blair. They combined for 15 kills while Sunnyslope's top two attackers-- Wine and Wright -- were blanked.

Wine and Wright emerged in the second set, teaming up for eight kills and helping Sunnyslope maintain a five to-seven point lead most of the set. Gilbert's third set win was pretty much a carbon-copy of the first. If not for six service errors, the Tigers might not have given up double-digits to the Vikings in that set.

Gilbert moves on to compete in the Nike Tournament of Champions Invite in Tempe and Phoenix on Friday and Saturday. The Tigers compete Friday in a pool with Flagstaff, nationally-ranked Parkland (Allentown, Penn.) and St. John Lutheran (Fla). Sunnyslope returns to power-ranking matches next week.