On a night when the Niles Vikings volleyball program honored its four seniors — Michelle Briand, Brea Haines, Abby McKeel and Taylor Brandstatter — it was Brandstatter who came up big from the service line for the Vikings as Niles beat visiting Coloma 3-1.

Playing a small senior laden line-up for the complete first set, Niles came up on the losing end of a tight one, 25-22.

The Vikings would go back to their normal line-up for the rest of the night and proved to be too much for the visiting Comets.

The second set was all Niles as the Vikings took the early 9-3 lead, increased the lead to 17-5 and ultimately finished the game with a 25-11 final.

“We came back with our power hitters and our regular offense in their regular positions and our offense controlled the passing game a whole lot better,” said Niles coach Linda Martin about the dominance in the second game.

The third set proved to be a lot tighter as the two teams matched points right up to a 19-19 tie and that is when Brandstatter came up big. After Niles broke serve to take a 20-19 lead, Brandstatter stepped in and served up the next five straight points as Niles took the third game 25-19.

“She (Taylor) has always been the clutch player ever since her sophomore year. She always seems to be up in the rotation when the game is on the line and we need the points,” said Martin.

In the fourth set, Brandstatter would once again be the one to help put the game away. With Niles clinging to a 16-10 lead, Brandstatter took her place in the rotation and served up eight consecutive points as Niles increased its lead to 24-10 before ultimately finishing off the Comets 25-13 to take the match 3-1.

“Taylor is just good in the clutch, she always has been, and she probably always will be,” continued Martin. “That’s our senior,” she claimed proudly.

Helping Niles take the match were Ashley Love with 15 kills, and seven digs, Lashonda Greene with seven kills, Miranda Baker with nine kills and four blocks, Kylee Myer with six kills and three blocks, Devon Floor with four blocks, Cortney Shirrell with 30 assists, Haines with 14 digs and Brandstatter with 10 digs and five assists.

Niles will play again on Wednesday night when it hosts Kalamazoo Central.

The Niles JV team beat Coloma 25-18, and 25-18 prior to the varsity contest.

Leading the way for the Vikings were Megan McKeel with 16 assists and two aces, Olivia Jordan with seven digs, and two kills, Courtney Nixon with three kills, Kierra Fillwock with four kills and Maggie Feifar with eight digs.

Niles statistics

Kills

Ashley Love 15

Miranda Baker 9

Lashonda Greene 6

Michelle Briand 4

Brea Haines 4

Kylee Myer 3

Devon Floor 3

Digs

Brea Haines 15

Taylor Brandstatter 10

Ashley Love 7

Abby McKeel 5

Michelle Briand 4

Aces

Cortney Shirrell 3

Taylor Brandstatter 2

Ashley Love 2

Brea Haines 2

Assists

Cortney Shirrell 30

Taylor Brandstatter 5

Blocks

Miranda Baker 4

Kyler Myer 3

Devon Floor 3