Xavier's 2014 volleyball season is resembling its 2013 campaign. And that's a good thing as Xavier coach Lamar-Renee Bryant knows.

Xavier won its three pool games Friday and swept three bracket games in the Platinum Division on Saturday (Oct. 18) to repeat as champion at the 6th annual Nike Tournament of Champions at the Kroc Center in Phoenix.

Xavier ended a long afternoon and early evening of action with a 25-22, 25-19 triumph over Desert Vista. Desert Vista (5-1) was also unbeaten in the tournament prior to the title matchup with the Gators. Last year Xavier lost an early regular-season match 3-0 to Desert Vista and bounced back to beat the Thunder a couple weeks later at the Gilbert Invitational. Xavier won the Nike TOC two weeks later and three weeks later captured the Division I state title. So far the road to a repeat state title is a mirror-image.

"We're excited to win again," Bryant said. "We had a lot of internal growth in our game this week. We played much better in serve-and-receive....It's good to come out with win over Desert Vista who I think is No. 1 (D-I) in power points."

Xavier didn't lose a set in the tournament, defeating three out-of-state teams and three Arizona teams. The Gators defeated Ironwood Ridge, The Bishop's School (La Jolla, Calif) and Desert Vista in bracket play. Desert Vista knocked off Hamilton and Mountain Pointe to reach the final on Saturday and took down Basha, West Torrance, Calif., and The Bishop's School on Friday.

Xavier was solid in every phase of the game in the final, save four service errors in the first set. Bryant wasn't all that disappointed in that stat as the Gators felt they had to serve aggressively to help slow the multiple attack options at Desert Vista's disposal. Desert Vista made that stat void with six service errors of its own in the first set.

"We wanted to make sure we kept track of their lefties (three)," Bryant said. "The play of our middles and serving aggressively I think took away an option from them. They usually have three. We wanted to limit that to two or one."

Other than a quick 2-0 deficit in the first set and a couple one-point deficits early in the second, Xavier controlled the scoreboard and the overall play. The Gators built a 20-12 lead in the first set after an ace by libero Kristen Largay. Desert Vista got in a groove down the stretch and the kills started flowing. Seven of Desert Vista's final 10 points came via kills. One by lefty outside hitter Olivia Fairchild (five kills to lead the Thunder unofficially) pulled Desert Vista within 23-22.

Xavier's kill leaders for the match -- Khalia Lanier and Makena Patterson -- came through to finish out the set for the Gators with Lanier laying down set point. Lanier led Xavier with 12 kills and Patterson added five. Largay, who Bryant believes is the best libero in the state, had 18 digs and setter Callie Jones produced 21 assists.

Xavier was more steady with its lead in the second set and finished strong. Leading 18-15, Lanier landed the first of her final three kills for the match with a kill that saw her hang in the air and parachute the ball to the floor in the middle of Desert Vista's defense. Lanier's last kills supplied the final two points and a first-place plaque and medals for her and her teammates.

Other Arizona teams making noise in the tournament on Saturday: Sandra Day O'Connor won the Bronze Division defeating Deer Valley in two sets; Mountain Ridge took home the Diamond Division title knocking off Mesa Mountain View in two; Horizon finished runner-up to Oaks Christian in the Silver Division, falling 2-1.