BRIDGMAN — Brandywine and Bridgman will face off for the Class C district volleyball title Friday night.

The Bobcats defeated Cassopolis in three sets Wednesday, 25-15, 25-21, 25-22, to earn their spot in the final game, while the Bees went 3-for-1 against New Buffalo to claim their spot.

The first serve of the championship match-up will happen at 7 p.m. on Bridgman’s home court.

Brandywine, which enters the title match with a 38-7-1 record, must bring a stronger offense than it did in the semifinal game if any hopes of a title are reachable, according to first-year coach Janet Markunas.

“Offense is our No. 1 strength and I should be happy that we won three in a row, but I’m worried because we have a lot of work to do if we want to finish this tournament as champions,” Markunas said.

The head coach gave credit to the leadership of senior Grace Polomcak, who was a force at the net for the Bobcats, finishing the game with 17 kills and 13 digs.

One noticeable absence from the court was junior Olivia Thomas, who is recovering from a dislocated knee injury, which was sustained during a recent practice drill. The injury has placed Thomas on the no-play list for the remainder of the season.

“She (Thomas) has the highest hitting percentage on our team, so this hurts bad right now, it actually kills us, but accidents happen and the only thing we can do is look forward and focus on what’s ahead,” Markunas said.

Thankfully for the Bobcats, the last two meetings with Bridgman went in their favor, which comes as good news heading into the big game.

Even defeated Cassopolis coach Demi Schrader knows the odds are in Brandywine’s favor.

“They (Brandywine) are one of the toughest teams in our conference. Their net players are strong and tall. Any team who faces them is in for a challenge. I’m just glad we stuck with them so well tonight. The score doesn’t reflect it, but our team played hard and I couldn’t have asked for more effort or more energy. I told them not to hang their heads low. I’m so proud of them,” Schrader said.

Junior Maile Barber had 13 kills and 11 digs and two blocks for Cassopolis. The Rangers also got four kills and two blocks from Sophie Fiala, while Lynnzee Armstrong finished the match with a team-high 21 digs.

Gabby Rowan led the Rangers with 15 assists. She also had five digs and two aces.