The Xavier High School volleyball team got a healthy dose of confidence Saturday when it defeated Kennedy at the Dubuque Invitational.

The Saints kept it going Tuesday night against Washington.

Xavier swept the Warriors, 25-18, 25-17, 25-23, in a Mississippi Valley Conference match at Washington with a strong performance.

The Saints (16-8, 3-0) had never beaten Kennedy in the 15-year history of Xavier High School, so whipping the Cougars in Dubuque was a major breakthrough. The Cougars reached the semifinals of the state tournament in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and traditionally have one of the top programs in Iowa.

"Overcoming Kennedy was a really big thing. It was definitely a boost to our confidence," said 5-foot-10 sophomore Kayla Torson, who amassed 11 kills Tuesday. "It made us even more excited for the season."

The Saints are ranked No. 8 in Class 4A. The Warriors (10-8, 1-3) were ranked in Class 5A earlier this season, but have dropped out.

Xavier held the upper hand all night against Washington and posted convincing victories in the first two sets. The Warriors rallied from a 21-13 deficit in the third game and pulled within 23-22 and 24-23, but the Saints won the match on a kill by Torson.

The Saints featured a well-rounded attack. They displayed a strong defense and offense, with powerful shots at the net and clever playmaking by Sarah Homan.

"That's the really nice thing about this team," said Coach Barb Sullivan. "They are very well-balanced. There's not necessarily one standout athlete.

"Our back row is starting to work really well together along with our front row. So as a unit they're really starting to come together. They're really starting to jell as a team."

Homan finished with 24 assists and 11 digs. Halle Heying also came up with 11 digs. Kasey VandenBosch collected six kills and Audrey Richards had three blocks.

"We all do a really good job of picking each other up, just supporting each other," said Torson. "And if someone messes up, it's not a big deal. We all mess up.

"Sarah, our setter, does a really good job of distributing the ball so all the hitters get a chance to prove themselves. And our defense is amazing."