The Newark and Serena volleyball teams took turns grabbing and holding on to the momentum during Saturday’s 51st Little Ten Conference Tournament championship match on Al Stegman Court at Serena High School.

In the end, the top-seeded Norsemen were able to capture their ninth straight title with a 23-25, 25-23, 25-16 victory over the No. 2-seeded Huskers (14-7-1).

Newark (23-3) has now won the tournament 28 times, including 15 of the last 16, and 25 of the last 29.

“We were up in that first set seven points, but Serena just fought back and grabbed the momentum,” Newark coach P.J. McKinney said. “I told the girls before the second set that I didn’t think we were playing poorly, so we had to find a way to get that momentum back to our side and we did. We were tested tonight for sure, but these girls found a way to get it done.”

In the opening set, Newark used a six-point service run by Ella Bromeland to lead 13-6. The teams traded points before Serena’s Trinity Weber reeled off four consecutive points to close the gap to 16-14. The teams again went point-for-point before a kill by Maddie Young gave the hosts a first-set victory.

It was just the 10th set Newark had lost all season.

“There is pressure, pressure because of how the past Newark teams have done,” Newark senior libero Morgen Hergenhahn said. “After losing the first set all of the talk was that we had to really step up energy wise. I don’t think we were playing bad, we just needed to play better. I felt like we did that in the second set and carried that momentum over into the third.”

Serena had a 14-11 lead in the second set, but a four-point run by Newark’s Rylie Carlson and a five-point spurt by Tessa Kot pushed the Norsemen ahead 22-21. With the set tied at 23-all, a Huskers net violation and a kill by Taylor Jeffers sent the match to a third set.

“We talked going into the third set that it was going to be the team that makes plays in tough situations that is going to come out on top,” McKinney said. “We were able to do that late and were able to finish things off.”

Leading 11-10 in the final set, Newark scored nine of the next 12 points, then closed out the win by posting the final five points, including a kill by Heather Buhle, block by Zoey Carlson and an ace on match point by Bromeland.

Newark was led by Heather Buhle (15 kills, 13 digs), Rylie Carlson (11 kills, 15 digs), Zoey Carlson (seven kills, six blocks), Ella Bromeland (19 assists, four aces), Taylor Jeffers (16 assists, seven digs), Morgen Hergenhahn (13 digs, eight service points) and Tessa Kot (10 service points).

Serena received solid outings from Anna Hjerpe (11 kills, 14 digs), Kendall Whiteaker (seven kills, three blocks, four digs), Alexa McNally (four kills, a block), Trinity Weber (six service points, two aces), Rebekah Shugrue (21 assists, 14 digs, three aces) and Aubrey Duffy (17 digs).

“I thought we had them,” Serena coach Jennifer Shugrue said. “I’m not sure I could be prouder of my girls tonight; they played a great match. We turned things around in the first set and were right there in the second. Then in the middle of the third set we just had a couple of mistakes and Newark took advantage of them.

“I know this is how we can play and hopefully despite this being a loss we can continue to have efforts like this to close out the season and into the postseason. The girls played their hearts out and should be proud of how they played.”

Both squads are back in action Thursday with Newark hosting Hinckley-Big Rock, while Serena travels to play Indian Creek.