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While it wasn't the prettiest of wins, Hayden volleyball coach Stephanie Davis said her team learned a valuable lesson Saturday as it gets ready for the district tournament.

Hayden beat Vail Mountain School, 28-26, 25-23, 21-25, 24-26 and 16-14.

"It lasted for two hours and 45 minutes (Friday) night so we were really, really tired today," senior Emily Whiteman said of Friday's five-game loss to league-leading Rangely. "So we didn't come out like we should have."

In the first two games, the teams battled back and forth, exchanging point for point. In the second game alone, the two teams had 13 ties.

However, in both games the Tigers were able to outlast the Gore Rangers.

Then in the third game, Hayden's fatigue started to show.

After Hayden took a 16-11 lead, the Gore Rangers fought back and scored 14 of the last 17 points to take the game 25-21. The fourth game went much the same way, with Hayden holding a late 24-21 lead before Vail Mountain battled back and scored the last five points of the game.

In the deciding fifth game, it looked like Hayden had nothing left, at points trailing 10-4, 12-7 and 14-11. But when it mattered most, Whiteman led the Tigers on a torrid last game rally, scoring the last five points to win the deciding game, 16-14.

The win gives the Tigers the No. 3 seed heading into the district tournament on Friday. Davis said the game shows the Tigers have to learn how to play with intensity and energy in back-to-back games.

Starting with two games on Friday night, the Tigers will have to be ready to put together an intensity-filled day, Davis said, if they hope to be one of the three teams to qualify for regionals.

"It's very important to string back-to-back matches together," Davis said. "I think we'll be excited in districts. I don't think I'll have to tell them to get pumped up because three go on to regionals and that's our hearts' desire."