The Warren volleyball team celebrates after defeating rival Marietta in five sets Thursday at Sutton Gym. (Courtesy photo)

In a showdown between two of the best high school volleyball teams in Southeast Ohio, the Warren Warriors came out on top over rival Marietta Thursday at Sutton Gym.

Both programs entered the match with 17-1 records. Warren’s only loss of the year came on Sept. 14 against Marietta in a tri-match at Wheeling Park.

Thursday, the Warriors (18-1) got their revenge.

The opening set was a true back-and-forth affair, with ties at 23-all, 25-all and 27-all before Marietta (17-2) came out on top at 29-27 on Ari Buckley’s kill.

Warren didn’t get down after the loss and built an early 7-3 lead in the second set, thanks in part to two kills by Long and a pair of aces by Bailey Saliba.

Marietta clawed back, and Taylor Karcher’s ace put the orange and black up 10-9. Warren re-took 12-11, 13-12 and 14-13, each time on kills by Sydney Starcher. Marietta rallied to tie twice more at 16-all and 19-all, but Warren never trailed the remainder of the second set. Up 22-21, three straight service points by Long gave Warren a 25-21 win to knot the match at 1-apiece. Long had eight kills in the second set while Starcher added seven.

Elayna Greenwalt’s ace gave the visitors an early lead and set the tone for the third set as Warren went on to win 26-24. Marietta answered back, winning the fourth set 25-21, but it was the Warriors who came out on top 15-12 in the fifth set to escape Sutton Gym with a huge victory.