MOUNT BERRY, Ga.- Berry earned back-to-back wins in the final day of the Berry Invitational, taking down Wittenberg and Piedmont University on Saturday.

Game One: Berry 3 - Wittenberg 1 
Bradynn Belcher
After a humbling outing on Friday night against Transylvania, the 25th ranked team in the country, the Vikings bounced back in a four-set thriller (25-22, 25-18, 24-26, 25-16) against the Tigers of Wittenberg University to put them back in the win column on the last day of the Berry Invitational.

Senior Lura Underwood was a cornerstone for Berry (2-6) in the first set, whose energy was vital to the team's initial success. The Vikings jumped to a quick 13-4 lead over the Tigers (5-4), driven by three kills from Bella Boston, the offensive specialist. Taking advantage of a few too many Berry errors, the ball fell into the hands of Wittenberg's libero, who was a service specialist as far as the Vikings were concerned. Three service aces coupled with three Berry errors and two Tiger kills shrunk the gap to 16-14, with Berry barely keeping the advantage. The Viking student section could feel the momentum shift, and they subsequently stomped their feet and shouted into horns to fire the Vikings up. Underwood did not just hear the noise, but she felt it. The senior flew all over the court for the final few points, and her team followed suit by becoming light on their feet and finding another gear. A service ace by Underwood and a kill by Boston finalized the first game, putting the Vikings in the driver's seat heading into the second set.

The second set, though one of the most dominating, was the most dramatic first to 25 points of the entire match. The Tigers and Vikings, both equally hungry to take this set, stayed within three points of one another until Berry finally broke away at 19-15. Lindsey MacDiarmid, who typically finds herself on opponents' scouting reports as an assist mastermind, found an opportunity to spike the ball down right in front of a Tiger claw to shift the score to 21-16. MacDiarmid could not turn around to high-five her teammates without first nodding to a whimpering Tiger. The set ended with Keira Kruk running back onto the court with gauze in her nose after laying her body on the line for her team, and, of course, with Underwood collecting a kill and another service ace to end the set 25-18.

The Vikings, now with a 2-0 advantage, eased off the pressure, giving the Tigers an opening to pounce. Kruk, still with gauze in her nose, put on a dominating offensive performance in the first portion of the set, collecting three kills and a service ace to put the Vikings ahead 6-4. Getting comfortable, Berry accumulated a game high six errors. Wittenberg held a 24-22 lead as the Vikings made a last-ditch surge, but their effort was thwarted by never-before-seen offensive outbursts from the Tigers. The Tigers forced a fourth set, winning 26-24.

The Vikings, now forced into an extra set, gave the Tigers a taste of what having a chance in The Cage Arena felt like. As quickly as they dished it, the Vikings stripped any chance that the Tigers had of traveling back to Ohio with a win. With 14 kills in the final set, the Vikings held on to the lead the entire time. At 25-16, the Tigers and Vikings met at the net to shake hands while Berry shouted "We all row" in the stands.

Kruk double-doubled with 15 kills and 13 digs. Boston accumulated 17 kills while Kate Whittle slid across the floor for an additional 13 digs. Underwood shoved six kills while collecting an astounding 30 digs in four sets, a new career high.

Game Two: Berry 3 - Piedmont 0 
Paige Ward

With a commanding young lineup, the Berry Vikings delivered a flawless performance to secure a decisive 3-0 win over the Piedmont Lions. 

The Vikings quickly established a commanding lead, thanks to a powerful service ace from Annaliese Neal and a series of precise kills from leaders Blakely Barnes and Ryn Gaertner. Berry's offense was unstoppable, with the team capitalizing on Piedmont's errors and maintaining a steady rhythm.

Berry could not be stopped as they pushed past the Lions easily in a 25-5 set one win.

The Vikings continued their impressive form into set two. 

Hope Kimsey and Cadence Maxfield contributed to key blocks and digs. The Vikings' ability to capitalize on Piedmont's mistakes and execute allowed them to pull ahead decisively. With a score of 25-16.

Entering set three with a 2-0 lead, Berry was determined to finish strong and take back-to-back wins for the first time this season. The Vikings came out with focused intensity, driven by their goal to secure a clean sweep. Key plays from Blakely Barnes and Maddie Dahl highlighted Berry's continued offensive strength, while keeping Piedmont at bay.

The Vikings' relentless pressure and precise execution ensured that Piedmont had no opportunity to mount a comeback with a 25-16 win.

Maxfield led the team in assists with a new career-high 34 in the three-set match while Ryn Gaertner also posted a new career-high with 9 kills.

For the weekend, senior Bella Boston was named to the All-Tournament team.

The Vikings will fight to stay in the win column as they will face the Emory Eagles on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at The Cage Center for a Pack the House event.