Now that's the way to start a rivalry. The NFL might be jealous with the parity and excitement exhibited Wednesday night from the Perry-Xavier Prep volleyball match. A 6A region game between unbeaten teams. A match where no lead was safe.

In the end, Perry took down one of 6A's preeminent programs in Xavier. The Pumas dropped the first two sets and prevailed in heroic fashion by taking the next three. Scores were 24-26, 24-26, 25-21, 25-21 and 17-15.

"Entertaining," a flabbergasted Perry coach Fred Mann said after absorbing his team's 14th consecutive win this season. "We showed a lot of resolve. We didn't always play well, but the girls got it going when they had to. I felt we had a shot in Game 1 and Game 2. Disappointing we didn't win either one. But they made a great comeback against a great team." Perry has defeated last year's big-school state champ Desert Vista and last year's runner-up (Xavier) among its 2016 conquests.

Perry's come-from-behind victory was aided in great part by monster efforts by junior opposite-outside hittter Ryann Davis and senior outside Amanda Aguirre. Davis finished with a match-high 28 kills and Aguirre chipped in 23. Aguirre was quite busy adding 27 digs. Junior middle Kennedy Kaminsky caused problems blocking and serving. She had four of the former and six (aces) of the latter.

Xavier (5-1) also flashed impressive stats for the match with more balance. Grace Morrison and Lanie Wagner had 11 kills apiece, Kristen Klein added 10 and Makenna Patterson chipped in eight. Patterson frustrated Perry's attack, particularly in the second set. She finished with 4 solo blocks and five assists. Wagner had 3 solo blocks and six assists and Emma Gelinas 1 solo block and six assists. Setter Shannon Shields had 36 assists and 18 digs. 

Both teams showed the ability to play from behind. That was impressive given the caliber of play both exude. Perry led the first set a couple times by 5, including 19-14 before Xavier tied it four times late. Xavier led only twice in the first set -- 25-24 and 26-24.

Xavier led the second set by as many as 10 and as late as 18-8. Perry tied it twice -- the final time at 24, but a Klein kill and Perry pass into the net gave Xavier what could have been a deflating 2-0 lead.

Perry (14-0) pumped itself up the rest of the way, rallying in every set. The Pumas trailed at one time 14-7 in the third set. Aguirre collected eight kills in the third set to buy Perry another set. The fourth set was a carbon copy of the third as Xavier bolted to an 18-11 advantage. Davis led the charge in this one with a nine-kill set.

In the final set Perry grabbed a 6-2 lead, but lost it a couple times on the way to trailing 13-12. A kill and ace from Davis gave Perry the first of three match points. The match ended on Aguirre's final kill and then an ace by Katie Koski. -- the 13th of the match for the Pumas.

"Our serve-receiver and passing killed us," Xavier coach Lamar-Renee Bryant said. "We were a little nervous to start, but gutted out Game 1 and Game 2. We gave up too many seven or eight-point runs....

"Perry is a good team. They are in it to win it. We'll circle the calendar for the next time we play them in region."