By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
It was only fitting that on senior night Dowagiac was led to victory by a four-year starter.
Brittney Reist, who was celebrating her birthday as well, powered the Chieftains past visiting Berrien Springs in a non-conference match, 25-20, 25-14 and 25-15.
Reist, who will attend Western Michigan University on a softball scholarship, led Dowagiac in kills, digs and aces as the Chieftains improved to 14-18-6 on the season.
The Chieftains honored their seasons prior to the varsity match and then dismantled the Lady Shamrocks in one of their best performances of the season.
Dowagiac used a combination of lethal serving, good defense and a strong offense to bury Berrien Springs after the first game.
Dowagiac held commanding leads in all three games, however, the Chieftains let the Lady Shamrocks back into the match in the opening game.
Reist used her jump serve to give Dowagiac a 2-0 lead which it increased to 5-2 on a pair of service winners by Amy Wood.
Dowagiac upped its advantage to 7-3 and then 11-6 on consecutive winners by senior Ashley Urbanski.
Berrien Springs cut the Dowagiac lead to 11-9, but Dowagiac once again built a comfortable margin.
Lindsay Tyler made it 13-9 and Reist stretched the lead to 15-10 with an ace off her jump serve.
Dowagiac led 17-12 following an ace by Wood, but Berrien Springs again came storming back.
The Lady Shamrocks cut the lead to 18-17 forcing Dowagiac into a time out.
The match would be tied at 18 and then again at 20-20 after Kim Luthringer made it 20-18. Urbanski served out the match.
Berrien Springs was not match for the Chieftains in either the second or the third games.
After the match was tied at 3-3 and 7-7, Wood served up back-to-back aces to make it a 10-7 match.
Jill Billingham served three consecutive winners as Dowagiac increased with lead to 14-8.
Reist also had three winners and an ace to extend the lead to 21-13.
Wood served up the final two points to give Dowagiac a 2-0 lead.
Itlooked as if the Chieftains might have a let down in the third game, but in the end, the serving was too much for Berrien Springs.
The match was tied five times, including 11-11, before the Chieftains took charge.
Wood served three consecutive winners to break a 3-3 deadlock, while Billingham had four straight winners, including an ace to make it 9-4.
Berrien Springs caught the Chieftains at 9-9 and again at 10 and 11.
Urbanski's two straigth winners spelled the end for Berrien Springs.
Tyler made it 18-13 with four winners, including an ace before Reist had three winners with an ace to make it 22-13.
Senior Denise Jackson made it 24-15 as Dowagiac pulled away to the victory.
Reist finished the night with 13 kills, six digs and four aces.
Dowagiac also got eight kills, four digs, two aces and two solo blocks from Billingham. Wood finished with four kills and three aces, while Luthringer finished with six digs and five kills.
Urbanski had 16 assists. Brittany Bruens added 11 assists.
Dowagiac will travel to Battle Creek Central on Wednesday for its final Big 16 Conference crossover match. The freshmen and junior varsity teams will start off the match at 6 p.m.
On Saturday Dowagiac travels to the Big 16 Conference Tournament at St. Joseph High School.