TIPTON, Iowa - There was a point during Tuesday's Iowa Class 4A Region 8 final when Pleasant Valley was poised to scrape back some momentum.

After losing the first game and teetering a bit against No. 2 state-ranked Iowa City West, the Spartans used that impeccable defense of theirs to steal a late lead in Game 2. A kill attempt was dug out by a flying PV backcourt player, and setter Payton Strawser somehow dove to the floor, slapped the ball over the net for an inexplicable kill, igniting the pro-PV crowd to the tune of a 21-20 lead.

The equalizer was four points away. But when the calm, collected Women of Troy claimed five of the next six points, that was all the momentum Iowa City West needed to sweep Pleasant Valley 25-19, 25-22, 25-14 and end the Spartans' bid for a return trip to the state tournament.

Defensive-minded Pleasant Valley (18-13), which won't be listing team height as a strength on its resumé anytime soon, thrives on that scrappy style, that chaos-on-the-court feel. But Iowa City West (37-2) won its fair share of those wild, wacky points.

Combine that with an efficient team effort of 34 kills against 10 errors, throw in seven aces, and the Women of Troy came away with a fairly tranquil victory.

"We all had a leadership role to fill and a job to get done," said junior outside hitter Alli O'Deen, who led Iowa City West with 13 kills. "We were pretty good at pulling out those close games (tonight)."

Emily Podschweit started slowly for the Spartans, and after three errors was benched for most of Game 1. That sparked PV's sophomore offensive leader, who finished with 12 kills and 20 digs.

"I think I was just too excited, all my energy got to me," Podschweit said. "I just needed to sit down and think about it, then come back in and play my game."

Iowa City West advanced to the state quarterfinals in Cedar Rapids, one week from today.

Meanwhile, Pleasant Valley enters reloading mode. Coach Stacey Ruff used 11 players in the match; libero Lauren Suhl is the only senior.

"What I challenged them with," Ruff said, "is realizing that we need to take what happened tonight and figure out what we need to do differently between now and next year, so that we're not this team. We're the team that goes to state."