Looking to win a fourth straight Berks Girls Volleyball League title, Wilson found a way to get it done Monday night at West Lawn.
Facing Twin Valley in the final for the second consecutive season, the top-seeded Bulldogs defeated the second-seeded Raiders 3-2, winning by scores of 25-19, 17-25, 25-22, 15-25 and 15-13.
“They’re (the Raiders) very good, they’re very competitive, and they match up against us well,” Wilson coach Dennis Werner said. “It was, for us, an ugly match, but we just found a way to win.
“We didn’t play well and to their credit, they played great. They put us in the position to not play well, but we found a way to win, and it was not pretty, but the girls did it. The girls made the plays when they had to make the plays in the end and that’s all that matters.”
The Bulldogs (18-2) did indeed make the plays when they needed to most. Trailing 2-0 in the fifth game, Wilson rattled off six straight points, forcing Twin Valley (13-5) to call a timeout. Senior Airyanna Kline scored three points in front of the net during the stretch to give the Bulldogs momentum.
“I’m always making sure that I’m bettering the ball as good as I can and get our team where we need to be making sure I’m always active on the net and making my best decision,” Kline said.
The Raiders continued to fight and show resilience by forcing ties at 11-11 and 13-13 before Wilson forced match point.
After a short rally, freshman Keira Benner tipped a low return just over the net and out of reach of the Twin Valley defense to seal it for Wilson.
“It feels great, especially being with the same group of girls that have won it when we were freshmen, sophomores and juniors,” senior Cameryn Niedrowski said. “It’s just really nice being together and being able to complete this goal together. We have a great connection on and off the court. There’s just so much chemistry that it makes playing on the court easier.”
According to Werner, a deep pool of talent and contributions from his freshmen through his seniors has proved pivotal.
“I rely on them: Airyanna, Kass (Kassidy Means), Cam (Cameryn Niedrowski), Jasilyn (Moncada),” he said. “They’ve been out there under pressure for three or four years and they’re used to that kind of pressure; they don’t falter. So I was pleased to see them make plays when it mattered most.
“And how about our freshman getting the game-winning kill? Off-speed shot, found the hole, scored the point, game over.
“They really made the plays when we needed them to.”
For the Bulldogs, Kline had a team-high 22 kills, one dig and three blocks; Niedrowski had two kills 46 assists and one block; Means had 21 kills and 14 digs; Moncada had two aces and 14 digs; Nia Kendall had six kills and four digs; Ashlan Moyer had 24 digs; and Benner had six kills, three aces and 16 digs.
For the Raiders, Addison Hertzog had five aces, eight kills, 12 digs, two blocks and 18 assists; Jordyn Robinette had three aces, 15 kills, 16 digs and two assists; Casey Levan had three aces, 14 kills, eight digs and two blocks; Mikayla Riehl had 13 kills, 10 digs, and two blocks; Charlize Greiner had 10 kills; and Jamie Fox had three aces, nine digs and 23 assists.
Twin Valley split with Wilson during the regular season, winning 3-2 at home on Oct. 12 to hand the Bulldogs their only league loss.
“It was a great match and it was a matter of making plays and separating at the end,” Twin Valley coach Bob Robinette said. “That’s what it’s supposed to be; a final is supposed to be like that. Our girls played their butts off. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”
With four BCIAA titles under their belt, the Wilson seniors credit an unwavering sense of chemistry and togetherness for their run at the county level. Exeter is the only other program to win four straight girls volleyball titles.
“I think there’s so much more of a connection and we all get along,” Means said. “There’s a team bond that we all have naturally. We really showed up at the end and it’s just an amazing feeling to have this four-peat with my team.”
“Our connection on and off the court is extremely strong,” Kline said. “We love to be around each other more than just playing together and I think that helps so much.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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