MOUNT BERRY, Ga. – Viking volleyball wrapped up the SAA Mega Pod with a sweep against the Sewanee Tigers, extending their streak against the Tigers all-time to 29 wins. Madie Whitehead and Keira Kruk both went for double-digit kills, with 12 and 10, respectively.
Lura Underwood got things in motion for Berry in the first set, placing a kill in the back corner of the Tiger to get the Vikings on the board first. Down early, the Tigers kept Berry in their sights, coming back to tie the game 5-5. Cali Armstead created some separation with a kill that sparked a 4-0 run to force Sewanee to call a timeout. The Vikings maintained momentum after the timeout, building a dominant double-digit lead. A kill from Keira Kruk closed out that run, making the score 16-5. With a well-timed timeout, the Tigers iced the server, sparking a 6-0 run of their own, making the score a more manageable 11-17. Madie Whitehead put the game back on track for Berry, and the Vikings finished strong, taking the first set 25-15.
Sewanee got on the board first to start the second set, but Berry quickly erased the deficit and went up one. Neither side could create a big advantage early in the second. With the score tied at 8-8, Sewanee committed an attack error, and the Vikings capitalized, carving out a three-point lead following an ace from Ryn Gaertner and a kill from Madie Whitehead. Refusing to give in, Sewanee called a timeout entering the final stretch of the set, the score 21-17. The Tigers scored following a service error out of the timeout, but Lura Underwood would right the ship for the Vikings, and Keira Kruk finished the job, claiming the final two kills to end the set 25-19.
Sewanee struck first to begin the third set. Looking to complete the sweep, Madie Whitehead earned two kills to spark a 4-0 run, causing the Tigers to take an early timeout. The Vikings stayed hot coming out of the timeout as Lura Underwood added two more to Berry's total with two service aces. The Vikings maintained their lead, and with the score 19-12, the Tigers called their final timeout, hoping to draw something up to get them to another set. They couldn't find anything to help their cause, though, and eventually, Ava Brovet found Lura Underwood to complete the sweep, ending the final set 25-18.
The Vikings remain in the Cage Center next week to open the Berry Invitational against the Covenant College Scots on October 3, at 2:00 p.m.
