Orem • There was one point between the Davis volleyball team and a championship. Kaylie Kamalu was up to serve.

"You'd think I'd be feeling all the pressure in the world," she said. "I just got the greatest feeling. I knew I was going to ace it."

When Kamalu's serve dropped in untouched, the Darts finished a sweep (25-17, 25-17, 25-19) of Lehi and a 36-year quest to win another Class 5A state championship Saturday night at Utah Valley University. It was a dominant performance, the kind teams dream of in the biggest game of the year, that cemented Davis as the state's top squad.

The last time the Darts won, in 1975, coach Lori Salvo was playing outside hitter for Davis. The whole team would agree: The wait was worth it.

"It's just one of those things to come back and win at your alma mater," Salvo said, wiping tears from her cheeks. "They just kept getting better and better. I knew they had potential, and finally they knew it too. They totally owned it."

Davis had an undeniably tough road to the title. The team had to take down the past two state championship winners, Pleasant Grove and Lone Peak, and finish with Region 4 champ Lehi.

But the Darts were unfazed throughout, topping the Vikings in three sets and the Knights in four. And the final victory over the Pioneers was arguably the masterpiece of the bunch — Davis' hitters were virtually unstoppable on the wings. The kills were fast and furious.

"We mixed it up early so they didn't know where to go and couldn't camp on us," hitter Candace Richins said. "It was our best game by far. Everyone was so excited; we were so ready to beat them."

Lehi was most effective running its offense through the middle, as Bree Bailey, Madi Memmott and Hailee Rupp managed to get some balls over the Darts' big front line. But Richins and Camille Walker from the outside, as well as a strong inside performance from Lauren Stringham, proved too tough to beat.

Davis' defense was championship-caliber as well. The team finished with 12 blocks, and libero Baylie Henrie led the team in digs with 13 — pretty good statistics for what turned out to be a brisk match.

It was the end of an up-and-down road for the Darts, who went through some restructuring and lineup changes in an effort to play to their potential. On Saturday night, that potential was realized.

"That was the most energy we've ever played with," Kamalu said. "We knew we were better than all the teams here, and we proved it. We took it to them, and I think it came down to desire."

kgoon@sltrib.com

Twitter: @kylegoon —

Storylines

R Championship • Davis 3, Lehi 0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-19)

Third-place game • Taylorsville 3, Lone Peak 2 (25-21, 22-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-13)

Fifth-place game • Layton 3, Northridge 0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-18)

Sixth-place game • Bingham 3, Brighton 0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-15)