By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
BERRIEN SPRINGS – Buchanan's volleyball team had to work through a bit of team adversity Wednesday night to pick up a league win on the road. The Lady Bucks defeated Berrien Springs 3-1 in Lakeland Conference volleyball action 23-25, 25-17, 25-22 and 25-23
Buchanan played without front line hitters Courtney Miller and Mattie Arndt, who remained on the bench the entire night for team disciplinary reasons.
"I didn't know until after school that they (Miller and Arndt) would not be able to play," Buchanan coach Lisa Holok said. "We definitely had to change it around tonight and my two freshmen, Rachel Briggs and Rachel Downs, did an excellent job in the first game stepping up. We then had to push my libero to play outside the next three games and Lindsey Borr handled that very well. We had to fight for each point."
Also with the cancellation of school, the team was only able to practice one day out of the past five.
Berrien Springs took the first game of the four game match, 25-23, before the Lady Bucks swept away the Shamrocks in the final three games of the night.
"We got a practice in yesterday and they played slow and we played slow tonight, but they hung in and played well together and did a nice job in a out of system situation," Holok said. "Both teams played a little bit sloppy tonight, but we pulled it out."
Buchanan will be in action next at the St. Joe Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 18.
BUCHANAN defeats Berrien Springs 23-25, 25-17, 25-22 and 25-23
Buchanan stats
Kills
Rachel Briggs 3; Rachel Downs 2; Emily Ross 3; Anna Callahan 11; Jayme O'Bryant 14; Katie Backus 3; Lindsey Borr 8
Briggs 2; Downs 3; Ross 3; Holly Lucas 18; Callahan 2; O'Bryant 10; Backus 3; Borr 14
Assists
Ross 41
Blocks
Briggs 2; Ross 3; Callahan 1
Lucas 2; O'Bryant 5