Brandywine volleyball falls to Bridgman in D3 district opener

Published 5:50 pm Tuesday, November 5, 2024

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CASSOPOLIS — The Bidgman volleyball team defeated Brandywine in Division 3 district play at Cassopolis High School Monday night.

The Bees swept the young Bobcats 25-22, 25-22, 25-19. Brandywine finishes the season with a 4-26-2 record.

“I was really proud of them,” said Brandywine coach Jim Ragosta. “It’s been a long season. We’re in a total rebuild. We’ve had a lot of ups, we’ve had some downs and what we said at the very beginning is we just want to be able to sprint to the end and hopefully see what happens and that’s kind of what we did tonight. At the end of our season, we’re playing some better volleyball. Bridgman’s a very experienced team so I thought we played them well. We had our opportunities – we had to capitalize on a couple things and that’s just how it goes.”

Macy Pellow had eight digs, Adelyn Drotoz seven kills, 12 assists, three digs and an assisted block, Adeline Gill five kills and one assisted block, Mackenna Price six kills and eight digs, Kaegan VanSandt three assists, five digs and two aces, Layla Covington four kills and one ace, Addison Anglin 17 digs and one ace and Bradie Linley had two blocks.

While the Bobcats lose Drotoz and Gill to graduation, everyone else will be back next season.

“I lose (Drotoz and Gill) but the whole core group stays,” Ragosta said. “I’m really proud of them and the better teams we played, the better we played. That didn’t always translate into a win but they’re a really hard working group, so I’m thankful for that.”

Ragosta has been impressed with Drotoz’s leadership amidst this season. Drotoz is the team’s lone senior this year.

“She just meant a lot,” Ragosta said. I always felt that she was a very calming effect for the team. She was the one person that had that experience and when we got flustered, she’s always very helpful. he was everything. It didn’t always translate into a win, but the growth of this team, she was a big gay part of that. Just having her leadership on the court, someone that has experienced this level of play, and that’s what it’s about after kids.”

Ragosta said the team will also miss Gill, who was a bright spot on the team despite not playing volleyball since eighth grade.

“She came in a little late, I wish we would have gotten her in June. Iit would have been that much better because she just picked it up and who knows what could have happened,” he said. “We have a good incoming so things are good. It’s a little tough right now but you have to start somewhere. It’s good.”

Bridgman advances to face Coloma at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Cassopolis. The winner of that game will face the Watervliet-Cassopolis winner at 6 p.m. Friday at Cassopolis.