The Corvallis High volleyball team learned a valuable lesson last week in a tough five-game loss at Lebanon.

The Spartans got behind early in the fifth game. And with little time to come back, they came up short in a 15-13 loss.

On Tuesday, the Spartans used that experience in their match against crosstown rival Crescent Valley at Spartan Gym.

CHS took the lead from the start of the deciding game, and while CV managed to tie nine times, the Spartans never gave up the lead and won 15-13 to wrap up a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Raiders.

Game scores were 26-24, 17-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13.

"I think we played great and we did what we needed to do in the last game," CHS coach Amy Wright said. "We kept the lead almost the entire time. And when it went back and forth, we made sure we were driving and that is what made the difference.

"We had the same situation against Lebanon and we let them pass us and then we weren't able to get it back fast enough. We can learn from that."

The match went back and forth all night. CHS's largest lead of the match was eight in the first game before CV took a late lead. CV's largest lead of the match was eight at the end of the second game.

"We were definitely evenly matched," CHS senior Molly McHenry said. "We both stepped up and showed that we can really, really do this and it was fun to know that we could go all the way through and stick with it."

Corvallis improves to 2-3 in the conference and is in a five-way tie for third with CV, Dallas, Lebanon and South Albany. Silverton and West Albany are 5-0 and face each other on Thursday.

CHS is at South Albany on Thursday, while CV hosts Woodburn.

On Tuesday, the Spartans scored the final three points to stave off a game-point to win the first game 26-24.

CV responded with a solid effort at the net to win the second game 25-17.

The third game went back and forth with numerous errors on both sides.

CV took its first lead at 18-17 and led 23-19 before holding on for a 25-23 win.

CHS then responded with two wins to take the match.

"I think that both sides could have probably cleaned it up and whichever side would have cleaned it up would have won," CV coach Corey Barton said. "It ended up just being a fight down to the end and the bounce just went their direction tonight."

Wright credited Hannah Keim with coming off the bench to spark the Spartans' attack in the final two games.

The Spartans jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the fourth game before holding on for a 25-22 win to force the fifth game.

McHenry led the Spartans with 12 kills while Alyssa Garrison and Niki Zalesky both had 11 kills and passed well on serve-receive, Wright said.

Allie Sanders had 33 digs, Alaina Adams had five blocks and Megan Olayinka had eight kills and four blocks for the Spartans.

"It was just a good team effort and I know we can do even better," Wright said.

Maria Barnes had 10 kills and 18 digs, Erika Linden had 19 kills and four blocks, Ashley McIntyre 14 kills, Melanie Young 23 digs and Paetton Rube 15 digs and 40 assists for the Raiders.