Orem • It was a sweep that many expected to go the other way around. But the Monticello volleyball team had something that traditional powerhouse Rich didn't — solid fundamentals.

It wasn't the flashiest performance, but it was defense, passing and strong hitting that gave the Buckaroos a 3-0 victory (25-21, 25-20, 25-20) over the Rebels. It was Monticello's first championship since 1987 — the year before Rich coach Cindy Stuart won her first and started a run of dominance.

But in this one, David played like Goliath.

"We were definitely the underdogs in this one," middle blocker Swayzi Slade said. "But everyone played well, and that's what I love about this team. If you scout us out, you can't really single anyone out."

Rich tried, Stuart said, and determined that 6-foot senior Slade would be the one to key on. But it wasn't just Slade who played well: The entire Buckaroo front line created a wall the Rebels found nearly impossible to break through. Block after block sent balls hurling back in Rich's direction.

It turned out that Monticello was much more than any one player, Stuart affirmed.

"We thought we knew what to expect," she said. "But then the players we thought couldn't pass were passing, the players we thought couldn't hit were hitting, and they were doing everything right."

Things were far less smooth for Rich, which struggled defensively against the Buckaroos' steady paced offense. As Slade, Robin Randall and others found good hitting opportunities, the Rebels found themselves on their heels.

It might've been an issue of pressure, coach Tony Esplin said.

"The girls were asking what our plan was to stop Rich, and I said, 'What do you mean, stop them?' " he said. "I said we were going to play our game and have fun either way. I think that's what happened: Rich didn't play its best game, and our girls did because they were having fun."

None of the sets were particularly tight throughout, but Rich battled toward the end. Hitter Courtney Lamborn and middle Alisa Petersen got hot late, but it was not enough, as Slade launched a kill for the match's final point.

The Monticello community turned out in droves to watch the highly anticipated matchup — the last time the Buckaroos faced Rich six years ago, they lost when a player went down with an ankle sprain in warmups.

But after the match, generations of the town were standing around the team, basking in a celebration that is sure to make its way back home.

"My dad's the fire chief, so we'll definitely have the fire engine out for this," Slade says. "One of the other girls' dads is the police chief, so it's going to be big."

Third-place game: St. Joseph 3, Layton Christian 0 (25-20, 25-10, 25-17) • The Jayhawks cruised to a win over the Eagles with a three-set sweep. Britt Sederholm led the team with 18 kills, while senior setter Emmie Oliver had 29 assists.

Fifth-place game: Panguitch 3, Wayne 2 (26-24, 20-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-6) • The defending champion Bobcats couldn't repeat, but finished their season with a thrilling comeback win over the Badgers. Seniors Carly Holmon and Natasha Barney combined for 26 assists.

Sixth-place game: Duchesne 3, Whitehorse 1 (25-12, 22-25, 25-15, 25-22) • The Eagles pulled away after splitting sets with the Raiders. Michaela Wilkerson had 14 kills for Duchesne, and Paige Ginn had four service aces.

kgoon@sltrib.comTwitter: @kylegoon