NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - The Vikings finalized their regular season this afternoon in Virigina taking on Averett and Mary Washington, defeating Averett 3-0 and falling in a tough five set battle with UMW. 3-2.
Game One vs Averett:
Ailee England had a standout performance this afternoon posting a career-high 10 kills in the defeat of the Cougars with senior
Bella Boston doing the same.
Set one was nothing shy of a Cougar beat down as the Vikings blew by them 25-13. Five consecutive errors from Averett doomed them from the start and lifted Berry on top.
Both teams put on a show in the second set, with the most points in a set this season for Berry with 36. The whole set was a back and forth affair, but when Berry took the 23-21 lead, the Cougars dug deep on the CNU court and took the lead at 25-24. After two kills from the leading Viking attackers England and Boston, the Cougars doomed themselves again with two errors to give Berry the two point advantage they needed to take the set.
With both teams exhausted, Berry still found the energy to shut down and shut out Averett at the neutral site. The Vikings rallied to a 25-12 victory to take a game at the Invitational.
Game Two vs Mary Washington:
In a thrilling five-set battle at the Christopher Newport University Invitational, the Berry Vikings dropped their final game of Saturday afternoon to the University of Mary Washington (20-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-18, 13-15). The close contest brings the Vikings to 13-13 on the year, and they look to use this experience to prepare for the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) tournament commencing next weekend.
In the first set, the Vikings were stunned by the Eagles as they quickly fell to an 8-3 deficit as a result of offensive miscues from the Georgia team. The Vikings were unable to get on a roll, falling to 18-10 before head coach Caitlyn Moriarty used a timeout to calm her team down. With a few key kills from Madie Whitehead and Keira Kruk, the Vikings put got themselves back in the match with a score of 23-20 in favor of the Eagles. The Vikings were unable to finish the comeback, falling in the first set 25-20.
Down 1-0, the Vikings were looking to even the scales. Berry ensured the second set remained competitive, never allowing the Eagles to extend their lead beyond two points until the Eagles led 14-11. Lura Underwood and defensive specialist Lindsey MacDiarmid each contributed two kills, bringing the score to a 15-15 tie. The Eagles, shaken by this comeback, made critical mistakes that Berry capitalized on, ultimately winning the set 25-19.
The Vikings totaled 12 kills in the third set, six coming from Underwood and Bella Boston alone, but nine errors proved to Berry's demise in the halfway point of the match. After dropping the third set 25-20, the Vikings entered the fourth set with their backs against the wall.
In the fourth set, the Vikings seemingly unclenched their jaws and played loose for the first time in the match. In an unparalleled Viking attack that took everyone in a blue jersey on the court to accomplish, Berry found their biggest lead in the afternoon at 21-14. Four Eagle errors and a kill from Underwood ended the set in Berry's favor with a score of 25-18, forcing a fifth and final set.
The Eagles found a quick lead at 5-2 in the fifth set, but the Vikings were not letting the Eagles go without responding in a big way. With six tied scores and four lead changes, neither team was able to gain momentum to run away with the title. Halfway through the set, a kill by Kruk gave the Vikings a 10-8 lead. Mary Washington went on a short roll, accumulating three kills and a service ace to change the score to 12-10, before a Kruk kill propelled the Vikings one point closer to reclaiming the lead. After two Eagle attack errors, the Vikings saw their final lead of the match at 13-12, but they were unable to find the floor on Eagles' territory for the remainder of the game. The Vikings dropped the final set 15-13.
Kruk double-doubled with 12 kills and 15 digs. Madie Whitehead accumulated 15 digs for the afternoon, and Boston and Underwood collected 13 and nine kills, respectively. Madie Dahl had a new career-high five aces to spark momentum at key times.
The Vikings will be traveling to Danville, Ky. to defend their title as SAA tournament champions on Friday, Nov. 15. The Vikings will kick off the tournament against The University of the South at 6:00 p.m.
