KAYSVILLE -- Nobody pushed them to five games in 34 matches, so the Darts' toughest competition was themselves.
Two-time defending Region 1 champion Davis High capped a 30-win season Saturday with a decisive 25-17, 25-17, 25-19 victory over Region 4 tri-champion Lehi in the state 5-A championship match at Utah Valley University.
"It's still sinking in. It was kind of overwhelming and I didn't know what to do," said senior libero Baylie Henrie. "I'll remember all the fun we had together. It was a goal to win region and then take state. We kept saying, 'One step closer, one step closer,' until we got it."
The 17-year-old Henrie played setter alongside Maddy Bullard as a junior, but in a critical coaching move by Lori Salvo was shifted to libero after Fremont swept the Darts on Sept. 13 at Kaysville in the league opener.
"Our serving and passing against Fremont sucked," Salvo said. "I knew I had to get Baylie on the back row to clean up our passing. Making that switch turned our season around."
Junior outside hitter Camille Walker became a setter, and Davis (30-4 overall) ended the 2011 season on a 13-match winning streak.
"Baylie had played libero in club and was our other setter last year with Maddy," Salvo said. "(Libero) McKay (Tarbox) was hard to replace, and when I decided to move Baylie she took it on wholeheartedly. If Baylie would have been taller, she would have been a good outside hitter."
"Every day I wish I were a little taller," said the 5-foot-6 Henrie. "The move helped our defense a ton, and having Camille on the front row gave us another tall player. I was fine with it. I like both positions and I wanted to do whatever I could to help the team."
In the sweep of the Pioneers -- who moved up to the 5-A ranks this school year -- in the Utah Community Credit Union Center -- Candace Richins had 15 kills, one solo block, three block assists, three assists and six digs. Walker had 11 kills, five block assists, 15 assists, nine digs and one ace; Kaylie Kamalu had six kills, five digs and two aces; Lauren Stringham had five kills, one solo block, four block assists and four digs; Tanisha Langston had four kills and three block assists; setter Kendall Sargent had 16 assists and three digs; and Henrie had 13 digs, two assists and one ace for the Darts, who had four aces and six service errors.
"Losing to Fremont changed our mindset; we were humbled," Henrie said. "We knew we had to change things up. I think we worked harder in practice after that. The coaches were harder on us and expected more from us in practice.
"There was external and internal pressure on the team," she said. "Everybody talked us up, and we kind of doubted ourselves after losing to Fremont. We knew we couldn't lose again. The two things I worked on the most was being vocal and being a leader.
"Everything was perfect and the season ended great. No regrets would be the right word," Henrie said. "The team chemistry was good; we're all best friends on and off the court."
Salvo played outside hitter on Davis' 1974 and 1975 state 3-A championship teams.
"For me, this was pretty cool," she said. "I got to come back to my alma mater -- it was always in the back of my mind how sweet it would be to go back to the school where I played -- and coach a state championship volleyball team. I don't think it's sunk in that we won the state 5-A title.
"This was bittersweet," Salvo said. "I knew they had talent, so there was a lot of pressure on me to get them to see it. It was a change for the better moving Camille to setter and Baylie to libero. Having Baylie and Camille on the back row made us stronger defensively."
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