When Arundel High junior Kiara Harmon finished off one last rally in the fifth and decisive set, the Wildcats volleyball team could finally relax and celebrate another Anne Arundel County championships.

It was an effort for No. 1 Arundel which survived sixth-ranked Broadneck in five sets, 26-24, 25-15, 23-25, 17-25, 15-2, Tuesday evening at Severna Park.

“We showed we have the hear to push back when things are tough,” Arundel coach Ashley Yuscavage said. “There were a lot of things that we did not [execute]. To still be able to push through is good to see.”

It’s the fourth league title in five seasons for Arundel (15-0 overall), which needed five sets to turn away Broadneck in last year’s final. The first set Tuesday was an early indicator of another classic between the rivals. The teams traded rallies and points with no team unable to stretch its lead to more than three points.

With the game tied at 19, Broadneck scored four of the next five points to put Arundel on the ropes with a 23-20 lead for the Bruins.

Broadneck (11-5) had a set point opportunity at 24-22 but could not close the deal. A dig by Arundel senior Emily Liu kept the Wildcats alive and junior Deviana Walker finished the point to make it 24-23.

Arundel senior Audrey Owens came up big with back-to-back kills to give the Wildcats a 25-24 lead and then senior Kennedy McDowney finished the job for a 26-24 win.

“We never give up and we are always pushing each other,” McDowney said. “My team’s energy [motivates me]. I am always thinking about what I can do to help the team get the next point. Never have your head down, keep your eyes up and always be ready to get that next point.”

Arundel appeared headed to an easy repeat after a lopsided win in the second set, followed with a 10-2 opening salvo in the third set.

Broadneck coach Tracey Regalbuto took a timeout to give her team a chance to regroup.

The Bruins started chipping away and got the deficit down to four at 15-11. From there, Broadneck reeled off nine straight points to charge out to 20-15 lead.

“Our conversation was a lot about not being a quitter,” Regalbuto said. “Just because someone takes a set off you or two sets doesn’t mean it’s over. You have to fight back. We talked about that after the second set. I feel like that’s what they did.”

During the run, senior Hannah Waters had a pair of aces and senior Bella Rubino had five kills to give the Bruins momentum. After the teams traded points, senior Madeline Stewart closed the game out with a kill for a 25-23.

Broadneck (11-5) used another long run to overtake Arundel in the fourth set. With the game tied at 14, the Bruins scored four of the next five points to go up 18-15. Then at 20-16, Broadneck scored four straight to put them on the verge of a set victory.

The Wildcats earned the next point, but junior Casey Gish came up big at the net on the final point with a block and a kill to give Broadneck a 25-17 win.

In the final set, Arundel used their strong service game and championship DNA to finally put away

Broadneck. Liu had two aces and forced several mishit returns as the Wildcats scored the first seven points of the game.

It was the second time in the match that Liu opened a set by earning seven straight points.

In the third set, the Wildcats led that lead get away. This time, Arundel made sure to close the deal. Owens and Harmon each had a pair of kills to close out the set and the title for the Wildcats.

“I’m super proud of this team,” Owens said. “I think there was some doubt surrounding us because certain players from last year are gone now, they are in college. We really felt the motivation to pull through.”

The Wildcats begin their pursuit of a third straight Class 4A state title Monday against either North County or Meade in a East Region I semifinal.

Yuscavage said Tuesday’s effort is a good starting point to prepare.

“It’s a mental piece [of the game],” Yuscavage. “We need to be able to keep pressure on and we didn’t do that. It is something we will talk about in practice. We have a lot to work on.”