By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
BUCHANAN – From the opening game of Thursday night's high school volleyball action at Buchanan, it could be sensed that it was going to be a long night.
Those expectations came true as it took five games before a winner would be decided. When it was finished, the Lady Bucks came back from a two game deficit to take a 3-2 Lakeland Conference win over Brandywine, 26-28, 19-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-8.
The opening contest saw the game tied 13 times with 14 lead changes. The Bobcats (3-3) took the first extended lead of the game at 12-7, but the Bucks fought back to tie the game at 15.
Buchanan (3-3) managed to take a brief three point lead at 19-16 and 21-18 before the Bobcats pulled even at 22. Brandywine's Alexa Perry sealed the game with an ace to give her team a 28-26 victory.
In the second game Buchanan jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead but a the Bobcats reeled off seven unanswered points to take a 9-7 lead. The game stayed neck and neck until the Bobcats forged a three point lead, 19-16, and went on to post a 25-19 win with Melissa Cooper ending the game with an ace.
"You know your own team's dynamics and our team will let up if they win," Brandywine coach Martin Klubeck said. "You are always worried about them letting up, that's just every team."
After an 8-8 tie in game three, the Bucks pulled away to a five point lead, 14-9, and held off the Bobcats the rest of the way to force a fourth game with a 25-21 win.
Buchanan kept the momentum rolling, taking a 14-4 advantage, but Brandywine refused to give up and cut the lead to four, 21-17, before the Bucks regrouped and finished out the game for the match tying win.
"I thought we came out pretty flat," Buchanan coach Lisa Holok said of her team's first two games. "We were off on our hitting, a tip here and a tip there. But they came out hard in the third game and never gave up. They did a good job, they finally put it together."
The Lady Bucks' Jayme O'Bryant got her team rolling in the final game serving up five consecutive points, including a pair of aces for a 6-0 lead. Buchanan setter Emily Ross finished off the Bobcats with a kill and an exciting league win.
"I blame myself," Klubeck said. "We have the talent, but we lost focus." Klubeck said he would have to look long and hard at what he's been doing this season and see what needs to be changed.
BUCHANAN defeats Brandywine, 26-28, 19-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-8.
Buchanan stats
Emily Ross 45 assists, 4 blocks, 16 digs, 3 kills
Courtney Miller 15 kills, 22 digs
Mattie Arndt 7 kills, 3 blocks
Anna Callahan 7 kills, 2 blocks
Jayme O'Bryant 8 kills, 23 digs, 6 aces
Lindsey Borr 28 digs
Katie Backus 3 kills, 18 digs
Brandywine stats
Kendra Zache 11 kills, 5 aces, 3 digs
Melissa Cooper 5 kills, 3 blocks, 14 assists
Jenna Harris 4 kills,
Katie Smallwood 3 kills, 5 blocks, 2 aces
Mallory Barber 2 blocks
Emily Low 18 assists, 2 aces
Julie Barnett 4 aces, 4 digs
Brooke Allen 2 aces, 7 digs
Alexa Perry 11 digs