CASPER - Maybe Paige Hellbaum and the rest of the Wheatland seniors just didn't want their high school volleyball careers to come to an end.

Or maybe it just took the Bulldogs a little while to figure out how to beat defending champion Powell.

Whatever the reason, Wheatland found the answer at the right time to pull out a 3-2 (21-25, 26-28, 25-21, 26-24, 15-9) victory in the Class 3A Wyoming State High School Volleyball Championships on Saturday at the Casper Events Center.

"I don't know why, but we were nervous at the start," Hellbaum said. "We were just watching Powell play."

And the Panthers were playing well.

Senior hitter Savannah Donarski and Hannah Pollart and junior Olivia Rogers powered the Panthers to an early 2-0 lead after they rallied from a 17-12 deficit in Game 2.

"We knew it would be a battle," Powell coach Cindi Smith said.

Wheatland coach Kim Davis expected the same thing, it just took some extra motivation and some timely substitutes for it to take effect.

The Bulldogs trailed 6-2 in Game 3 before they began to make their move.

"I was [upset] because we had never come out like that before," Davis said. "I was using every coaching technique I could think of.

"Thankfully our subs came in and were able to help us get things turned around."

Nichole Hixson came up with two big blocks and Hellbaum served an ace to help the Bulldogs rally for the Game 3 win.

Wheatland then fought off two match points in Game 4 before taking control in Game 5.

Senior Darbi Yost powered down a kill through two Powell blockers for the game- and match-winner.

"It's just an amazing feeling," Hixson said. "We've been known as a comeback team all season ... it's what we've been doing all year."

For Hellbaum, the match was a fitting end to an outstanding prep career.

The 5-foot-11 senior came up with some timely digs and big hits to keep Wheatland alive early and added some key passes late to lift the Bulldogs to their second state title in three years.

"I think I just came to the realization that this was it," Hellbaum said. "And I can say that this was the hardest match that I've ever played in.

"It makes me think that I earned this."

Green River wins 4A title

Green River coach Rikki Shantz believes her team "performs better under pressure."

Saturday the Wolves put that theory to the ultimate test, dropping the first two games to Evanston before rallying for the 3-2 (19-25, 23-25, 25-14, 25-23, 15-8) win in the Wyoming State High School Volleyball Championships at the Casper Events Center.

Not only did Green River come back for the improbable win, but the Wolves also added a new piece of hardware to the school's trophy case - their first state volleyball championship plaque.

"This has been our goal all season," said senior hitter Dani Hardy, who helped Green River build a big lead in Game 4 with some powerful kills. "Ever since we were freshmen this is what we've talked about."

Evanston almost rallied to win Game 4 but a net serve forced a fifth game.

Even when they lost the first two games, Hardy had no doubt the Wolves would achieve their long-time goal.

"I knew we were going to come back," she said. "I just knew it in my heart."

Big Horn wins 2A crown

At the rate the Big Horn volleyball team is going, they should start renting out office space at the Casper Events Center.

"It's been quite a run," senior Shelby Brewer said, after the Rams had won their third straight Wyoming State High School Class 2A Volleyball title Saturday at the Events Center.

And with a straight sets victory over Pine Bluffs, Brewer and fellow seniors Callie Crouse and Angela Lo Guidice are leaving quite a trail of hardware at Big Horn High School. The three are also key members on the Rams two-time defending 2A state basketball champions.

"We're still filling up the [trophy] cabinet," Brewer said.

Pine Bluffs only led early at one point in the three games, early in the second game, in a match that Big Horn controlled from the start. The Rams won 25-11, 25-13, 25-14.

"They played flawless volleyball," Hornets coach Lisa Gilbert said, "and we struggled."

Pine Bluffs did win the first game of the 2A East Regional title match, before the Rams won the next three to claim the regional crown. But there was no doubt Saturday that Big Horn looked to be on a mission to leave no doubt about who is the best team in 2A.

Burlington reigns in 1A

Even Burlington coach Jerry Patrick had to get clarification on the shot that Huskies senior Paige Neves pulled out of her arsenal early in the third game of the Class 1A championship match.

Playing a Cokeville return, Neves reached out her left arm and returned a hook shot that angled over the net and dropped in to give the Huskies an early 2-1 lead.

"What do you call that hit anyway?" Patrick asked Neves from the sideline.

Neves responded with a shrug and a somewhat sheepish grin, but it wasn't until after the Huskies had wrapped up a 3-games-to-2 victory over Cokeville for the Wyoming State High School Volleyball Class 1A Championship Saturday afternoon at the Casper Events Center that the Huskies do-it-all senior could properly explain.

"That's called, 'Just get it over [the net],'" Neves said after stepping down from the awards podium, gold medal slung around her neck.