There were some tense moments but nothing that the Western Heights boys couldn't handle.
After a week of matches the junior volleyball team thought they had met their match with De La Salle College in the North Island National Secondary Schools junior volleyball tournament final.
But after conceding a set to levelone set all, the team of Year 10 students fought back, eventually winning the deciding set 16-14.
"It was a rollercoaster ride for sure," coach Paora Morrison said.
"It was very tense, very noisy. There was a big crowd and a lot of pressure on both teams to perform at that moment but they stepped up and did the job."
The junior team has been playing and training together for the past two years with twice daily training sessions for most of that time.
The tournament was played at Waitakere's Trusts Stadium and ran from Monday to Friday last week.
Western Heights played three pool games, three crossover games, a quarter-final and semifinal on their path to the championship.
"Our goal was to win it," said Morrison, who has taken three teams to the final in the past four years.
"These guys have been working hard for the past two years. It was really cool to see that come to fruition at the end.
"It was a very close final and De La Salle had some big Island boys in their team so it was a big ask."
He said Western Heights took the first set but De La Salle levelled at 1-1 before the thrilling final set.
The boys will now move to the senior grade, which Morrison said would provide them with tougher opposition.
Captain Tiaan Flavell, 15, said he had faith in his team to step up to the challenge presented in the final. "It was pretty intense," he said. "There was a second when I thought we wouldn't win but we kept under control and didn't make any mistakes."
Talor Kahu was named the team's Most Valuable Player.
Team: 1 Zechariah Ropitini, 2 Billy Tanirau, 3 Jacob Rakei, 4 Taylor Unsworth, 5 Nathan Katu-Samson, 6 Talor Kahu, 7 Vitor Esteves, 8 Troy Wilson, 9 Tiaan Flavell (captain). Coach Paora Morrison, manager Eugene Bogun.
