Snowflake waited 367 days for Saturday to arrive.

So it didn’t matter that it played what is essentially overtime in a volleyball game.

Snowflake was leaving Veterans Memorial Coliseum with its gift, one way or the other. After defeating Northwest Christian 25-18, 25-23, 31-29, Snowflake unwrapped its reward, a gold colored volleyball trophy the 3A champ earns.

Unlike this season, Snowflake finished as the runner-up after dropping the 3A final as the No. 1 seed in 2021.

“(Saturday) morning I woke up and it felt like Christmas,” Snowflake outside hitter Addy Fisher said. “I was really excited.”

As for the third game overtime drama in which the teams had a combined seven chances to end the game, fans watched two teams exhibit maximum effort on the floor of a historic sports site.

The runner-up had a chance to end game three at 24-22, 27-26 and 29-28. Also, the serving of Vivianna Samaniego (5 aces) and senior captain Abigail Araujo initiated an 8-1 run that pushed Northwest Christian ahead 19-15 in the final game.

Runner-up Northwest Christian volleyball will be one of the favorites in 3A next year. (Photo by Jose Garcia/azpreps365)

But the resiliency of the champion emerged every time it was down. Snowflake upped its offseason training for moments such as the third game thriller.

Down 29-28 after a Tatum Naber ace, Snowflake strung the three points it needed to finally start celebrating after its one-year wait.

After a Snowflake kill, Mikelle Abbott and setter Braxton Jones produced one of the big moments of the match with the third game knotted at 29-29. Abbot went to the floor to dig out a tip and Braxton immediately sent the ball over to an open spot. 30-29.

Before Abbott prepared for the final serve of the match, her fans started chanting, “Finish it. Finish it.” Snowflake proceeded to do so after Northwest Christian couldn’t return a block by Livi Schneider and Lily Lungberg on the outside.

“Considering what happened last year there was no way they were going home with second,” said second-year coach Jamie Robinson about her 37-4 Snowflake team.

Fisher (11 kills) and Schneider (18 kills) were the go-to weapons on the outside for Jones (41 assists).

Addy Fisher (No. 9) and her teammates are all smiles after winning a point Saturday. (Photo by Jose Garcia/azpreps365)

But the athletic and poised Jones did a solid job of distributing her passes, as six Snowflake players each totaled at least three or more kills. Macy Gardner had four of the winning team’s 14 blocks.

For 30-11 Northwest Christian, it might become next year’s Snowflake since it will return almost every starter, including freshman Cadence Roberts (team-high 11 kills).

But Saturday belonged to Snowflake. Finally.