CEDAR RAPIDS - Exhaustion etched on her face.

Tears flowed down her cheek.

For the first time in four years, Tripoli's Alicia Johnson could not fight back the emotions.

One night after surviving a gut-wrenching five-game semifinal match with Holy Trinity, Johnson and top-ranked Tripoli had to dig even deeper Saturday night at the U.S. Cellular Center.

From overcoming a two games-to-nothing deficit and four match points in the fifth game to several uncharacteristic blunders by Johnson in the final stages, Tripoli managed to outlast second-ranked Treynor in an epic Class 1A title match, 23-25, 23-25, 25-14, 25-18, 21-19.

"I'm kind of in shock," Johnson said. "I don't think it was a matter of us being better. It was just a case of two teams being evenly matched."

It was Tripoli's third consecutive championship and sixth in the last seven seasons.

But this one required more grit and determination. It also provided more drama, as Tripoli overcame a 2-0 deficit for the first time in coach Teresa Kehe's 23-year career.

Treynor, which was on the verge of its first state title in school history, had match points at 15-14, 16-15, 17-16 and 18-17 in the fifth game.

Tripoli was able to fend each and every one off.

"It was pretty scary and nerve-wracking," Tripoli sophomore Tiffany Nilges said. "We just kept pushing.

"We were very disciplined, and we showed a lot of heart."

The Panthers (32-7) had an opportunity to close it out at 14-13 in the fifth game.

As Tripoli's Desiree Andreassen set the ball to Johnson, the all-tournament team captain seemed primed to spike it and end the match. Instead, she went up and caught the ball in mid-air.

"I swore I heard a whistle," Johnson said. "I guess my mind fooled me on that one.

"I felt like an idiot."

The miscue rattled Johnson for the next few points as she had two attack errors and a service error.

"She was devastated with the way she played," Kehe said, "but we're not here without her or down here in Cedar Rapids without her."

Johnson's teammates, particularly Nilges, came to the rescue.

Nilges, also named to the all-tournament team, delivered a monster performance with 20 kills, 19 digs and 8 1/2 blocks.

Johnson, though, bounced back in a big way. She hammered down her 35th kill to give Tripoli a 20-19 lead.

Then on its third match point, Tripoli sealed it when Treynor's Lea Hartigan had her attack sail just long.

"We handled the pressure as well as we needed to," Kehe said. "We were definitely undersized, and we weren't as balanced as we have been in other years, but our kids showed the heart of a champion.

"Tiffany Nilges just took charge, and Liz Platte (a freshman) came in with some huge blocks."

Treynor, which finished 40-3 and hadn't dropped a game in its previous two matches, prevailed late in each of the first two games.

Tripoli, though, fought back.

Thanks to 18 total team blocks, the Panthers rolled in game three.

After falling behind 5-3 in the fourth, Tripoli scored 12 out of the next 13 points to seize control and eventually force a fifth game.

"We wanted to get through in three because you don't want Tripoli to gain any momentum," said Treynor coach Gail Hartigan.

"In the end, we just played a great team and a great individual."

The 5-foot-11 Johnson, who will play volleyball at Iowa next season, finished with 95 kills in the three matches. Her high school career ended with three state championships, a runner-up finish and captain of the all-tournament team three times.

"This will go down as the most memorable match of my life," Johnson said.

Contact Matt Coss at (319) 291-1468 or matt.coss@wcfcourier.com