Buchanan rallies for five-set D2 district win over Berrien Springs
Published 2:19 pm Tuesday, November 4, 2025
- Buchanan's Gabby Carson (right) lofts the ball over the outstretched hands of Berrien Springs defenders Monday night in D2 district play at Buchanan. (Maxwell Harden / Leader Publications)
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BUCHANAN — The Buchanan volleyball team was pushed to the brink Monday in MHSAA Division 2 district play.
The Bucks rallied to defeat Berrien Springs 25-13,25-17,24-26,15-25,15-8 Monday at Buchanan High School.
“I think the girls had a lot of adrenaline going into the first two games,” said Buchanan coach Shelly Bender. “I felt they fed off that and then I feel like when they struggled, they got down… It’s so hard to come back after you lose two in a row like that and in a fifth game to separate like that, just shows a lot of growth throughout the whole season.”
Heading into the pivotal fifth set, Bender told her team to stay focused and to play Buchanan volleyball.
“They knew that we had gone to fight with them in the season and they knew it was going to be like this, and remember that we won,” Bender said. “I just had to get them a little bit more confidence and I feel like once they got in the first few points, it was like they relaxed and played.”
The season will continue for a Buchanan team that won its fifth straight conference title with a largely new cast of players. Even so, the championship expectations remained the same.
I’m so proud,” Bender said. “The girls really had to work this year to develop into a confident role; we had a lot of different lineups, everyone contributes and I feel like we’re now getting in a rhythm of we know what works and what doesn’t work. I just think we’re a really good team, we’re good teammates, we’re a great competitive team and it goes with a lot of hard work. In the beginning of the year, it was hard. We had to work really hard to win, which was good for us because I feel like that’s paying off for us now.”
The Bucks (25-11) will face Edwardsburg in the semifinals Wednesday at Buchanan. The Eddies won the lone regular season matchup between the two teams.
They’re good. They’re a really good team,” Bender said. “I think we’re better than when we were playing back in September, so we’re excited for the challenge. I think that we have a better block, our defense is better, we’ve made some adjustments. I just think as a whole, we’re more confident in our team.”
