Jumping out to an early lead didn't mean much in Tuesday's 5A-I nonregion volleyball battle between state tournament veterans Phoenix Desert Vista and Scottsdale Desert Mountain.

In each set, the team that led early lost.

In the second set, Desert Vista (5-0) trailed late, too, but scored the final seven points to avoid a 2-0 deficit, then went on for a 3-1 win.

"When we were down 24-19 we turned the switch on," said Desert Vista senior setter Anna Gott. "We needed to win that game. We couldn't get down 2-0. We played our hardest and got those seven points. That was the turning point of the match."

The Thunder, ranked No. 1 in power points, won by scores of 21-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-20.

Desert Mountain (3-2) got the early lead in each set, except the first, the one it won.

The Wolves had leads of 7-2, 18-13, and 24-19 before the Thunder's second-set rally. In the third set, Desert Mountain jumped out to a 3-0 lead and they led 5-3 in the fourth.

"We definitely were coming out strong then we would have some mental breakdowns," said Desert Mountain coach Shannon Bullock. "Desert Vista is very consistent in their play. My team being kind of young, mental errors occur and it tends to snowball. We're working on focusing and taking it one point at a time."

It was Desert Vista that took early control in the initial set. The Thunder had a 15-11 advantage and led as late as 21-20 before a five-point Wolves rally.

In fact, the Thunder let a six-point lead slip away in the third set, but with the score tied 21-21, they scored the final four points.

"I thought Desert Mountain came out and played tough and played really well," said Desert Vista coach Molly West. "We made a couple of adjustments in the backcourt that really helped our ball control. I think that helped quite a bit."

Desert Vista junior Betsi Metter finished with 28 digs and 15 kills. Gott added 18 digs and junior Kyle Hartman had 13 kills and five blocks. Sophomore McKella Williams chipped in with nine kills and four blocks.

Senior Kendall Kristick's 12 kills led Desert Mountain. Sophomores Jocelyn Leichner and Paige Pfeiffer had nine kills each.

Wolves senior setter Taylor Jones had 36 assists.