By By STEVE MORRISON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – A good comeback win is always the best answer to a tough defeat. Niles Vikings' volleyball team exemplified that approach Monday night in the Niles High School gymnasium.
After losing a tight contest to Mattawan, last week, the Vikings rebounded with a confidence-building victory against the South Bend Riley Wildcats, winning the match, three games to none.
Niles started the first game ahead 4-0 thanks to three kills by Kaylynn Stephenson sandwiching an ace by Katie Bourbonnais. Riley crept back into the contest with an ace by Alli Lewis and then took the lead 10-9. An ace by Samantha Brawley put the Vikes back in the lead to stay at 11-10. With three aces by Bourbonnais and one by Brittney Wolverton, the home team pulled out to an 18-11 advantage. Riley wasn't finished with Kelley Coker serving the Wildcats scored 5 straight points to come within two, 16-18. Niles reasserted itself to finish off the win, featuring a key block by Bourbonnais, to set up the game point 24-22. An errant serve from Riley ended it 25-22, Niles.
Despite ties of 8-8 and 11-11 Niles won the second stanza 25-16 with excellent work in front by Demi Schrader and Patty Anton coupled with a pair of aces by Brawley, kills by Stephenson, Wolverton, and a dagger by Ashley Allison to finish the frame.
Niles left little doubt about the outcome of the match with a 25-9 romp in th concluding game. Madylynn Peterek made a great dig, a kill, and two straight tips to forge a 10-5 lead combined with aces going wild from Brawley and Stephenson. When Karly Kennedy slammed home a spike to make it 22-7, it was all but over.
Niles' coach Linda Goodrich showed guarded optimism after the win. "We were pleased with the play of Demi Schrader and Sam Brawley. They shared duties at setting. Sam played her natural position. I am still concerned our lack of motivation and enthusiasm," she continued. "It took us too long to get warmed up. Sam did an excellent job of communicating on the court; we need more players to step up, and then we'll really be getting somewhere."
Niles Statistics
Aces: Sam Brawley 4
Kills: Kaylynn Stephenson 10; Patty Anton 4, Demi Schrader 4, Katie Bourbonnais 4
Assists: Demi Schrader 20
Blocks: Samantha Brawley 2, Patty Anton 2
Digs: Brawley 21, Stephenson 15, Schrader, 12