Heading into Saturday afternoon’s 4A Fifth/Sixth District championship game with Bonneville, the Century High School volleyball team had won 12 consecutive district titles.

    To win number 13, the Diamondbacks would have to play Bonneville for the second time that day and the sixth time this season.

    Entering the game Century was 4-1 against the Bees, but the one loss cost the Diamondbacks the top seed in the district tournament.

    While both teams were going to qualify for next week’s state tournament, what was left to be was if Century could win its 13th consecutive district title.

    In what looked more like a 12-round heavyweight boxing match, the Diamondbacks took every hit Bonneville delivered on the way to a straight set victory 25-19, 25-20, 25-17 at Pocatello High School.

    Where before Century was winning the Fifth District title, a league consisting of just three teams, this year the feat was much more difficult as the new Fifth/Sixth District features six schools.

    "It's hard to point to one player or facet of play that brought the win,” Century head coach Pauline Thiros said. “As a team we played at a high level and executed well as a team. I don't know if we have peaked, but we are playing our best volleyball of the season so far. We plan to work very hard to prepare for state and intend to bring some new offensive strategies. We need to continue to be unpredictable in our attack."

    For most of the season Kayla Ellis and Ann Clappier had been the main the offensive threats for Century. Against Bonneville, Thiros moved the attack away from Ellis and Clappier and toward Jennie Murillo and Henny Hearn.

    The pair responded, combining for 16 kills in the match.

    “We are going to work on adding some new things to our offense this week,” Thiros said. “Now that Bonneville has seen us as many times as they have we are going to have to be different.”

    In the opening set the Diamondbacks jumped put to a quick three-point lead. After a Kayla Ellis kill, that lead swelled to five. But just like it had done in the meeting earlier in the day, Bonneville rallied back.

    The Bees cut the margin down to one point on five different occasions in the set, but were never able to get over the hump to take the lead.

    Bonneville came out swinging in set two.

    The Bees held a 13-8 lead midway through before Century rallied back to tie the game at 14-14 after a Murillo kill.

    A 5-0 run gave Century a five-point lead and all the momentum as Murillo closed out set two with another kill.

    "I was so pleased with the way the Diamondbacks executed offensively, and with some big improvements in team blocking and defense,” Thiros said. “Kayla Ellis was consistent in all phases of our play and scored well in spite of being the object of opponent's blocking strategies. She and Jennie Murillo both did an outstanding job hitting around and through the block and to the open areas on the court."

    Just as in the first two sets, the two teams traded punches for most of the final frame.

    It featured four tie scores and two lead changes before Century was able to take control.

    Clappier had two kills and two big blocks in the final points of the match to give Century the victory.

    The Diamondbacks did not drop one game during the district tournament thanks to a big weekend from Ellis and Clappier.

    Ellis finished the weekend with 48 kills and 44 digs and Clappier had 45 kills and 20 blocks.

    Murillo had 30 kills, seven aces and 40 digs and Sami Parris finished the tournament with 123 assists.

    "Thirteen straight district championships for Century feels good,” Thiros said. “This is my fifth with Century, and it certainly has been the most satisfying because it was the hardest one to win. When districts five and six combined, it made things a lot more competitive, and it has helped high school volleyball in southeastern Idaho."

    Century begins the quest for a third consecutive 4A state title Friday against Emmett.

    The match begins at 8 a.m. at Skyline High School.