PRESCOTT VALLEY – St. David girls volleyball coach Tylene Miller had the feeling from the first time that her players stepped on the court this season that this autumn was going to be fantastic.

“I had faith in them. I told them, “This is your year,’ ‘’ she said.

For the first time since 1989, the Tigers took home the championship trophy. The top-seeded team swept No. 6 St. Johns 25-8, 26-24, 25-20 in the Division V title match at Tim’s Toyota Center on Saturday (Nov. 9).

St. Johns’ sweep of No. 2 Tucson Desert Christian earlier in the day made Miller take notice, although she said she wasn’t too worried.

“We had been working hard all year. We had become one,’’ she said. “We wanted to make sure we continued to do everything we had been doing.

“We had an awesome group of girls and our five seniors led the way.’’

St. David finished 36-1, and only one team (Tombstone) took the Tigers beyond three sets all season.

One of those seniors, Chelsey Stover, was at the top of her game. She wears No. 13, but it certainly was lucky in this one.

Stover had several kills to power the Game 1 rout.

St. Johns (18-2) put up more of a fight in the second game. It had a 21-16 lead entering the final stretch, but Stover started St. David on the road back with a big kill. Her service aced pulled the Tigers within 22-21 and they pulled out front for the win, using a couple of blocks by St. Johns that went out of bounds.

St. Johns hung tough in an attempt to get back into the match and at least force a Game 4, but St. David was too strong, finishing it off with a kill.

McKenna McGrath and Rylie Vargas also played well for St. David. Jessica Bowles had a strong game for St. Johns, especially with her work at the net.

It indeed was St. David’s year.

“Now we can bring it home,’’ Miller said.