On the brink of defeat, Berne Union hangs tough

LANCASTER — Playing in front of a loud and hostile crowd, it would have been easy for Berne Union to wilt Thursday against Fairfield Christian Academy, especially after the Knights won the first and third games.

However, when the Rockets were down, they never flinched, even in the fifth and deciding match when they trailed 7-2. They were able to rally by scoring 12 of the next 14 points.

Led by senior Lauren Zody, whose calm presence never let her team get rattled, Berne Union was able to pull out a gut-wrenching 19-25, 25-14, 22-25, 25-18, 16-14 Mid-State League-Cardinal Division victory.

It was a game the Rockets had circled on the calendar for a year after they led 2-0 before losing three straight in 2014 at Fairfield Christian.

“I’m really proud of my kids, and we talked about what this game meant to us,” Berne Union coach Mike Miller said. “We wanted to come out and make a statement after we let that one slip away last year. We were really focused.

“The key is the senior leadership. I’m just here pushing a couple of buttons, but they are the one’s that get this thing going. They did a great job of getting the job done, which is what they kept saying in the huddle.”

Zody said: “We definitely had some unfinished business from last year, and we came into this match really focused. We did a great job of working hard and sticking together as a team.”

The Knights took control early in each of their wins. In Game 1, they jumped out to a 9-1 lead, and in the Game 3, they led 8-3 and Berne Union never recovered.

But the Rockets’ blocking, led by sophomore Sara Bieber and freshman Callie Rathburn, started to frustrate the Knights. Beren Union (7-1, 2-0) led 9-4 to start the second match 10-3 in the fourth match.

The Knights (3-2, 1-1) were their own worst enemy at times.

“It was a great game, and both teams played really hard,” Fairfield Christian coach Mary Beth Dewese said. “We just have to work on not being a roller coaster, and that’s what we were. We were up and then we were down.

“We have a lot of young girls out there, and maybe that has a little bit to do with it. But overall, I thought we played well, and we were really scrappy.”

Zody finished with 52 assists and eight kills. Bieber had 23 blocks and seven kills, Rathburn contributed 11 blocks, and Lauren Shepherd had 11 kills and seven blocks. Keirstan Mirgon had seven kills and was 27 of 28 on serves.

Sydney Tucker led Fairfield Christian with 36 assists and seven aces. Blaire Barr had 14 kills and Ruthie Johnson finished with 11 kills.

“It is a huge win for us, as far as the league is concerned,” Miller said. “We were focused and this is what we came to do.”

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