Allyson Severance of North Branch gets a kill shot past Buchanan’s Megan Adkerson on Thursday at Kellogg Arena. Severance and Olivia Fike led the Broncos with 14 kills each.
BATTLE CREEK – Even North Branch coach James Fish was hard-pressed to figure out how his team won a five-game thriller over Buchanan, 12-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-19, 15-10, Thursday at Kellogg Arena to advance to the Class B championship game on Saturday.
Unfazed by its surroundings and North Branch’s experience, Buchanan (49-7) took it to last year’s runner-ups. At one point the Bucks were poised to take a 2-0 lead.
“I have no idea, honestly,” said Fish. “Two things. We were in that same situation a week ago against Notre Dame; 1-1 and we’re down 10-7 and I called timeout. I looked at the scoreboard (today) and I said I’m not calling a timeout. They scored again and it was 11-7.
“Before we started the fourth game, I took my clipboard and cleared it and I said ‘what is confidence?’ You’ve got to get it. You have to fight. We did. I knew if we could get to a fifth game we had a chance. We’re pretty tough in fifth games.”
In the fifth game, North Branch put the pressure on Buchanan by winning eight of the first 10 points.
The Bucks could get no closer than 13-8 as North Branch advanced.
“I think that comes with being a senior-dominated team,” said Madee Miner, a Miss Volleyball finalist. “Coach Fish gives us confidence that we could do it.”
Class C volleyball: Bronson moves on in three games over Calumet
Allyson Severance and Olivia Fike saved the Broncos with 14 kills each.
They were hard-pressed to keep up with Buchanan’s Franki Strefling (23 kills), Alex Tobler (20 kills) and Liz Kuntz (11 kills).
“One (Strefling), 11 (Tobler) and 15 (Kuntz) were fantastic,” said Fish. “I think I might have underestimated them a little. I saw some things on tape I thought we could do, but they just kept coming.”
North Branch raced to a 5-1 lead in the first game, but it was all Bucks from there as they went on an 11-3 spurt to take a 12-8 lead, forcing Fish to call a couple of timeouts. The onslaught continued as the Bucks opened up an 18-8 lead against the beleaguered Broncos, forcing Fish to make some adjustments between games.
The Broncos started playing better at the net in the second game and opened up a 19-14 lead, forcing Buchanan coach Lisa Holok to call a timeout. Errors at the net caused the Bucks to fall further behind, 21-14.
North Branch senior Stephaney Fifield makes a key dig.
Severance was a stalwart at the net as the Broncos tied the match.
But Buchanan wasn’t overwhelmed by the moment, and as North Branch seemed unsure of itself in the backline, the Bucks surged ahead 11-7 in the third game, showing more poise. The deluge of points continued after a North Branch timeout as the Bucks extended their lead.
However, North Branch got a lift from the serving of Janel Ruhlman. She led a spurt that tied the third game at 20 with a couple of aces as the Broncos gained some momentum. Buchanan regrouped, winning five of the next seven points and the game on a kill by Kuntz.
Tied at 10 in the fourth game, the Bucks kept banging away. Kuntz drilled one down the center of the court, smiled and forced Fish to call a timeout with his team behind 13-10. Rallying behind Fike and Severance, the Broncos swept through the last part of the game, outscoring the Bucks, 15-6, sealing the deal on a block by Fike to force a fifth game.
All matches at Kellogg Arena, Battle Creek
Thursday’s semifinals
Class C
Brown City 3, Adrian Madison 2
Bronson 3, Calumet 0
Class B
North Branch 3, Buchanan 2
Lake Odessa Lakewood 3, Cadillac 1
Friday’s semifinals
Class D
Rogers City vs. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, 2
Plymouth Christian vs. Leland, 3:45
Class A
Novi vs. Fenton, 5:30
Rockford vs. Temperance Bedford, 7:15
Saturday’s finals
Class D: 10 a.m.
Class C: Bronson vs. Brown City, noon
Class A: 2
Class B: North Branch vs. Lake Odessa Lakewood, 4