SAUGUS - Valencia knew it didn't have many physical advantages Thursday over the Saugus girls' volleyball team.

But the Vikings definitely had history on their side.

Valencia's psychological edge, combined with its maturity in crucial situations, was enough for a young lineup to record a 25-17, 20-25, 23-25, 25-16, 15-9 victory over the Centurions, extending the Vikings' Foothill League winning streak over host Saugus to 16 in a row since 2002.

"They were a little bit bigger, a little more physical and their block was a problem for us, but I think we had the advantage in competitive edge and composure," Valencia coach Ray Sanchez said. "The way we lost the third game and came back showed a lot of character."

Despite relinquishing a 23-21 lead in the third, Valencia (6-6, 2-0) took control from the outset of the fourth and kept the pressure on the Centurions (12-4, 1-1) by scoring five of the first six points in the deciding game.

"We were so mentally strong out there. We all know we can do it physically, but if we made a mistake, we just had to shake it off and go on to the next play and do better," said Valencia libero Brooke Dawson, who had 24 digs.

"There was no way we were going to let ourselves lose it."

Much like older sister Shelby did in 2008 en route to league MVP honors, Valencia's Serena LeDuff stepped up in the final two games, recording eight of her 15 kills, to go along with 22 digs.

"I

realized I have to fight now and I have to put everything on the court. My teammates really pushed me, so I guess it worked," LeDuff said. "We saw that we can push through anything as long as we stick together."

Sarah Blomgren had 20 kills, Jaclyn Clark recorded 10 kills and 25 digs, and Ashley Guthrie added 46 assists for Saugus. Emily Ellias had 14 kills and six blocks, Sierra Sanchez added 12 kills and Carly Carapella recorded 44 assists for the Vikings.

"We're going to let people say what they're going to say and play how they're going to play and we'll just let the score speak for itself," Carapella said.