The Berkshire Badgers Volleyball Team traveled to Chagrin Falls on Oct. 7 for a regular season contest which had CVC Chagrin Division Title implications.
Match photos click here.
The Berkshire Badgers Volleyball Team traveled to Chagrin Falls on Oct. 7 for a regular season contest which had CVC Chagrin Division Title implications.
Three weeks earlier, on Sept. 18 at Berkshire High School, the Tigers broke the Badgers 8-game winning streak and handed them their first loss of the season.
Since that loss, the Badgers have gone 9-1.
With a 17-2 season record and a top twenty ranking in the Ohio Volleyball Coaches Association Division V Poll, the Badgers were looking to split the season series with the Tigers.
In a close match on Oct. 7, the Badgers earned a season split and a share of the CVC Chagrin Division Title as they defeated the Tigers, 3-1.
After losing the first set, 23-25, the Badgers regrouped and won three straight sets (25-21, 25-13, 25-22) to win the match.
The Badgers were led offensively by senior captains Jill Smetana (15 kills), Kate Miller (11) and Marissa Rish (10).
Miller also led the Badgers defensively with 15 digs and 20 serve receptions.
After defeating the Tigers, Miller said that the Badgers were too energetic and excited during the first set.
However, she said that the Badgers were able to play the rest of the sets more calmly and relaxed.
“We worked ourselves up too much and that’s what led to us dropping that (first) set,” Miller said. “But by the second, third, and fourth set, I think that we relaxed, got comfortable, and we just got the job done.”
In comparing this victory to the first match with the Tigers on Sept. 18, Miller said that in the first meeting it was a bit of an off night.
However, in the most recent matchup, Miller explained that the Badgers focused on what they needed to do and played with purpose and intentionality.
“I think tonight we tried to clean up our side of the court and we came in being intentional,” said Miller. “The last couple weeks of practice we have been preparing for this game and everything we did tonight was intentional.”
In order to play with purpose and intentionality, strong on court communication is a must. With their excellent offensive attacks against the Tigers, Miller said that the communication between the setter, attackers, and coaches was effective.
“It’s really all thanks to my setters,” said Miller. “I tell them where I want to be set up and they put me there. My coaches tell me where to go. All I have to do is execute it. I got great sets tonight, I got a lot of attempts, and that is what leads to the ball landing on the other side.”
With the victory over the Tigers, and additional victories over the Crestwood Red Devils on Oct. 9 and the Canfield Cardinals on Oct. 11, the Badgers completed their regular season with a 20-2 record.
“It’s been really special, this is a special team,” Miller said. “Everybody wants to be here, everybody wants to play together. It’s just been incredible that we have performed so well and we’ve worked together so well. And we all want it. That’s the really big thing this year compared to last year. We wanted to be here. We wanted to be on the court and we want to win games.”
Although the Badgers got the victory to split the season series, Tigers senior outside hitter Anna Topel was proud of how her team played.
She said the Tigers gave great effort against a very good Badgers team.
“Our team really put our heart into this game, and sometimes that’s just not enough,” said Topel. “It’s enough for me to split with this team. They’re a really great team and I think it’s enough for Chagrin Falls to have our year up on the banner.”
The Tigers completed their regular season with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-14, 25-16) victory over the Wickliffe Blue Devils on Oct. 9 at Wickliffe.
Leading the Tigers offensively in the victory over the Blue Devils were Gia Calabrese (10 kills), Topel (9), Lily Victoroff (7), Anna Michalek (6), Charlotte Clark (3), Logan Kohanski (3), Molly Wheatley (2), Molly Nightwine (1) and Margeret Svette (1).
The Tigers will next return to the court on Oct. 16 when they host West Salem Northwestern in the first round of the OHSAA Division V Playoffs.
