MOUNT BERRY, Ga.- The No. 10-ranked Berry Vikings won their second consecutive Southern Athletic Association championship on Sunday afternoon in the Cage Center defeating Birmingham Southern in a five set thriller, 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-17, 15-11).

The Vikings (23-4) put up big numbers on both sides of the ball, recording a new season best of 66 kills in a five-set match. 25 of those kills came from Peyton Breissinger, setting a new career-high. Berry totalled 16 blocks, nine of which were recorded by Olivia Mallow, also setting a new career-best.

With the deciding set tied 9-all, it would be a race between the two teams to score the next six points. With BSC serving, Molly Bergin came up with a kill after a rally to give the Vikings the lead for the final time Sunday. A Breissinger service ace and an attack error by BSC pushed Berry ahead by three, 12-9. With the noise growing in The Cage with every point, Jazzy Innis came through with a kill to bring Berry within two points of the title. A thunderous block by Bergin and Cypress Guenther made it championship point for the Vikings, capping a 5-0 run.

BSC would score the next two points, but Bergin had the final word of the afternoon, tipping a kill down the right sideline past the BSC block to set off a championship celebration.

Birmingham Southern took the first set 25-23 after coming back from a seven point deficit. The Vikings got an early head start on the Panthers, 14-8, after a Breissinger kill, and continued to establish dominance, hiking up the lead to 18-11. But the Panthers offense rallied in the latter half, laying down six kills in the last eight points. Breissinger recorded 10 kills in the first set alone.

The Vikings got their groove back in the second set, winning 25-20. After an even start, a block from Molly Bergin and Mallow brought the Viking lead to 15-13, shifting the momentum. Berry put up six blocks in the second set propelling them to victory in the set.

The Panthers ran ahead of Berry 8-4 to begin the third set, before the Viking offense then went on a scoring spree, racking up eight unanswered points to take a 12-8 lead in the Cage with seven of those points coming during the serve of Innis, including two aces. Berry hit .400 during the third set, seeing to their 25-20 win.

The Panthers fought to keep their season alive in the fourth set, coming up from behind winning 27-25. Berry jumped out to a 9-4 lead, with a Bergin ace accounting for the senior's 1,000th career point. At 24-23, the Vikings had their first championship point of the day, but a solo block by BSC gave the Panthers life. After a service ace made it 25-24 for BSC, Innis came up with a clutch kill to tie the set. However, a kill and a block by BSC made it 27-25, forcing a deciding set.

Innis and Breissinger were named to the SAA All-Tournament team, and Emily Rapach was selected as the tournament MVP. Rapach tallied 59 assists, her highest of the season.

The Vikings will be looking to the NCAA D-III selection show on Monday at 1 p.m. to find out where and who they play next to continue their season.