Hope Daniel (5) goes up for a block against Buchanan Monday night in the Chieftains’ home opener while teammates Katie Lorenz (8) and Kaisha Martin (6) look on. Dowagiac was defeated by Buchanan 3-1. (The Daily News/Scott Novak)

By SCOTT NOVAK

Dowagiac Daily News

For a minute there Monday night it looked as if the Dowagiac varsity volleyball team was going to force a fifth and deciding set against visiting Buchanan.

But then Bucks’ standout Audrey Oake came up big and helped Buchanan post a 25-17, 25-17, 20-25 and 25-20 win over the Chieftains.

Bucks’ coach Lisa Holok has a young team and with only nine players, she is still getting them to jell together.

“So far this season we have really had to battle with staying consistent,” she said. “I was glad it was tight the last two sets because we need the practice. We need to learn how to take control of the game.”

It appeared that Buchanan was headed to a three-set sweep of the Chieftains, winning the first two sets by the score of 25-17.

But Dowagiac stepped it up in the third set and edged the Bucks 25-20.

The Chieftains got off to a fast start in the fourth set and looked like they might be able to force a fifth set.

But Buchanan was able to rally from the early 5-2 deficit to catch Dowagiac at 6-6.

The two teams battled back and forth with ties at 7-7, 8-8, 11-11, 13-13, 16-16 and 17-17.

An Erin Glavin tip kill gave the Bucks an 18-17 advantage and when Oake delivered another kill it was 19-17.

Dowagiac got the deficit back to a single point, but Brooke Shultz served up a pair of winners to extend the Bucks’ advantage to 22-18 and they went on to claim the victory.

In the opening set, Oake had a trio of kills early on to help Buchanan open up a 6-2 advantage.

Dowagiac rallied to cut the advantage to 10-7 after Kelsie Primley’s kill. It would be as close as the Chieftains would get.

In the second game, despite the efforts of Hope Daniel, who served up five consecutive winning points, the Chieftains were unable to control Oake at the net.

Her block gave Buchanan a 16-12 lead and her kill opened up a five-point advantage that Dowagiac was unable to recover from.

In the third set, Dowagiac got strong efforts from Devon Ownby, both serving and playing defense.

Kiele Belew’s three straight service winners gave the Chieftains the victory in the third set.

“We are just inexeperienced,” Dowagiac coach Bill Anderson said. “Even though I have seniors, they don’t know the game. We are still learning the game and that’s what hurts. Not knowing the game.”

Anderson was pleased with the efforts of Ownby, who led the team with 30 digs; with Carly Polomcak, who had eight kills; and Daniel, who finished with a team-high 14 digs and had seven assists. Kaisha Martin had 13 kills and Primley eight. Katie Lorenz finished with 25 assists and Belew nine aces.