EDWARDSBURG — For the first time in 15 years, the Buchanan volleyball team will play for a district championship tonight.

The Bucks (48-4-1) advanced to the Class B title game at Edwardsburg High School with a 3-2 win over Wolverine Conference champion Vicksburg Tuesday night.

Buchanan and Vicksburg split the first four sets alternating victories.

The Bucks took the opening set 25-23 and looked to be in a position to win the second set before a late surge by the Bulldogs allowed Vicksburg to pick up the 25-19 win.

Buchanan controlled much of the third set as it built a 16-10 advantage.

The Bucks led 24-17 before Vicksburg rallied with four straight points to cut the lead to 24-21.

Sophomore Franki Strefling picked up one of her 32 kills to seal the victory.

Strefling dominated the fourth set, but Buchanan was unable to come away with the victory. The two teams were all square at 18-18 when the Bulldogs got hot and were able to open up a small lead on their way to a 25-22 win.

Sophomore libero Taylor Strauss got the Bucks off to a quick start in the fifth and deciding set.

She served up most of Buchanan’s points in an 8-0 run to open the set.

The Bucks led 9-1 when the roof caved in and Vicksburg went on a tear behind senior outside hitter Taylor Rosenthal.

The Bulldogs closed to within two points, 12-10, before sophomore Britta Mollberg dumped a ball over the net for a kill to make it 13-10.

Sophomore Liz Kuntz, who had a big night in the middle for the Bucks, moved Buchanan to match point with a kill and Strefling put the exclamation point on the victory with her 32nd kills.

“I thought when we really needed big points, Liz came through for us,” Buchanan coach Lisa Holak said. “I was so pleased with my libero. I felt like she was so strong from start to finish. If I had to pick one person who did not break down ever, it was her. She kept us in the game when other people were falling apart. She was composed the entire time. She kept us in it.

Strauss finished with 27 digs and one ace.

Kuntz had 11 kills and eight blocks, while Strefling added nine digs, two blocks and an ace to her team-leading kill total.

Jada Meahl also had a nice night at the net with eight kills and three blocks.

Buchanan will face Battle Creek Harper Creek in the championship match at 7 p.m. tonight. That match has been moved to Dowagiac Union High School due to a boil water order in Edwardsburg,

Harper Creek swept Paw Paw 25-17, 25-22 and 25-17.

“We have to play better than we did tonight to beat Harper Creek,” answered Holak when asked that it will take for Buchanan to win its first regional title since 1991. “We’ve got to bring it. It’s a really good matchup. We’ve got some strong hitters and they’ve got some strong hitters.

“We’re evenly matched. We have to leave it on the floor and make sure that we’re ready.”

 

Class B Regional

Volleyball

At Edwardsburg

Buchanan d. Vicksburg 3-2

Set scores

25-23, 19-25, 25-21,

22-25, 15-11

 

Buchanan statistics

Alexis Meahl 2 block, 2 kills
Jada Meahl 1 ace, 3 blocks, 8 kills, 3 digs
Clara Cornwell 1 ace, 7 digs
Chelsey Bennett 3 blocks, 1 dig
Franki Strefling 1 ace, 2 blocks, 32 kills, 9 digs
Alex Tobler 1 block, 4 kills, 1 dig
Liz Kuntz 11 blocks, 8 kills
Taylor Strauss  1 ace, 27 digs
Taylor Reed 1 ace, 6 digs
Britta Mollberg  1 ace, 5 digs, 49 assists