It wasn't the Lancers. It was Berkshire beat the Badgers.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

By Jamie Ward

And it's a sad picture, the final blow hits you
Somebody else gets what you wanted again
You know it's all the same, another time and place
Repeating history and you’re getting sick of it

History did repeat itself in a painful way for the Berkshire volleyball team in the District III finals against Gilmour, as the Lancers won 3-1 at LaBrae High School.

The puffy, red eyes of Badger players revealed how sick of it they were.

The lyrics above are from the Taylor Swift song “Change.” Berkshire coach Joni Prots and her coaching staff, in an attempt to motivate the team, had the song title printed on blue T-shirts this season. It is clear from the lyrics the song expressed Berkshire’s frustration as the Lancers have kept them from advancing to the regionals the past two seasons.

Now it is a third.

It wasn’t all bad for Berkshire Wednesday night.

The team played with pluck in the first game, controlling the net while infused with momentum from raucous Badger fans. Berkshire won 25-20, with 12 Gilmour unforced errors.

The Badgers scored the first point of the second game, but Gilmour then ran off nine consecutive points. It seemed Berkshire could feel it slipping away. The Badgers looked to their coach, looked to each other and, as Gilmour dominated the net in the next three games, the Badgers were a shadow of the 22-2 team that entered the game.

“It’s a huge disappointment,” senior setter Beth Dunton said. “We all really expected to win. For us seniors, we know we’re not going to be back here again, we’re not going to get this chance.”

Dunton said she did not think the Badgers suffered a here-we-go-again mentality. “I think we started to make it into too big of a deal. We started to play scared and tense. I think we just got a little nervous after (the score) started going up so high,” she said.

Said senior Leita Hess: “We should have played harder and not gave up. Our passing went downhill.”

Added senior Ashley Klarich: “We beat ourselves, kind of. We went into the game thinking we could beat them, and we’re the better team. We could have beat them. We didn’t think it was our last chance but it was. When we get down on ourselves, that’s the only way we get beat, is when we beat ourselves.”

The two teams went back and forth in the third game, at one time tied at 15. A questionable call down the line gave Gilmour a 23-17 lead. A Gilmour roof ended the third game 25-22, as senior Jackie Profera almost brought Berkshire back on her serve.

Game four was one-sided as Gilmour senior Mary Kramer continued to prove why she was the Lancers’ Most Valuable Player.

“She’s been in a pain in the butt since she was a freshman,” coach Prots said. “If anything is in the area of Mary Kramer, the ball is going to be played. She has the attitude every coach would want.”

Prots said the Badgers should not hang their head, but added, “I think they will look back and realize they did not play their best.”

Klarich said the team will be great next year, and she hopes the younger players realize the importance of these games.

Said Hess: “Being on this team, I’ve learned so much and had so many memories.” Hess’ younger sister, Olivia, is a freshman this year.

“It was awesome being together on the same team,” Leita said. “I just hope she excels and does great.”