TIPTON

When the last ball dropped to the floor Monday night, Mid-Prairie’s players jumped high above it to celebrate their triumph.

The Golden Hawks defeated Wilton 15-13 in the dramatic third set of a championship match to win the school’s first-ever River Valley South Conference Tournament title in volleyball.

Junior setter/hitter Jovi Evans hugged her sister, Jeorgia, a freshman, and other teammates.

Senior libero Dakota Mitchell, one of the top defensive players in the state, hugged everybody.

The rest joined in a celebratory huddle at mid-court.

Thursday, the 3A eighth-ranked Golden Hawks will go after an overall River Valley Conference Tournament title in an eight-team field at Maquoketa.

“It just goes to show how much work we put in,” Jovi Evans said.

The Golden Hawks, who were the top seed in the South, defeated rival West Liberty in three sets in the semifinals to reach the finals against Wilton. They dropped the first set, 31-29, after rallying from a seven-point deficit. Then, they rallied from five-point deficits in the second and third sets to win by 25-20 and 15-13 scores. In the second set, Mid-Prairie scored six of the game’s last seven points.

“We know we can do it. We know we’re good,” Mitchell said. “Stay calm.”

And the Golden Hawks did remain calm, forcing three ties late in the first set and answering Wilton with strong rallies in the next two sets.

“They didn’t give up,” head coach Sherry Evans said. “We’ve done this all year.”

Thursday at Maquoketa, Mid-Prairie will be joined by South rivals West Liberty, Wilton and Iowa City Regina, and North teams Beckman Catholic, Anamosa, Cascade and Bellevue. The Golden Hawks, seeded No. 1 in their bracket, will face No. 4 Bellevue at 5 p.m. The semifinals are set for 7 p.m., followed by the conference final at 8.