By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – The function of a lighthouse, especially during the ancient mariner era, is steering ships past dangerous objects like reefs and rocky coastlines. They are navigational tools, towering over the ocean and shining through the darkness, that provide visual and auditory warnings to prevent accidents.
Sammie Gratzer is Bedford North Lawrence’s lighthouse. Standing tall as a beacon in the storm, she guided the Stars through some choppy waters to a victory in their home debut, blasting kills at key points during a sweep of Borden on Thursday night.
Gratzer crashed 15 kills, including five straight during a turnaround sequence in the third set, as BNL recorded a 25-18, 25-23, 25-18 win over the Braves. The Stars (2-0) trailed by significant margins during the last two sets, but Gratzer captained the vessel to safety.
BNL coach Aaron Wagoner doesn’t want to depend solely on his magnificent middle hitter. But during stressful moments, and six-point deficits qualify as that, the ball will find its way to the net for a Gratzer gash.
“We’ve got a diverse group of attackers, if the sets are on,” Wagoner said. “We’re working really hard on that. You can’t be a one-dimensional offense.
“Sammie is almost enough. It’s good to have her. It’s like an anchor, the lighthouse, the safe place. If we’re not playing well, we can always go to Sammie and have a chance.”
Borden (2-3) had a chance. The Braves owned a 17-11 lead midway through the second set before faltering, then jumped to an 8-2 advantage in the third. That’s when Gratzer was at her best, blasting down five straight points as BNL exploded to a 16-10 advantage.
“About that point, that’s when she came to the front row,” Borden coach D.J. Zipp said. “We didn’t have an answer for her physicality. She was a real spark plug, We did a good job of slowing her down for a little bit, but she’s going to get hers. She’s a great player.”
She had plenty of support. Jenna Allen logged 10 kills, Lily Mishler knocked down 8. Sara Williams led the way on the back line with 17 digs, Adalynn Bailey totaled 12 digs and Trinidy Bailey added 10.
Borden was slowed as senior hitter McKenna Mullen made it through only one rotation before exiting to continue her recovery from an ankle injury.
“We’re still trying to adjust to her absence,” Zipp said. “This was fantastic for us, a big gym, big crowd, big school, big team on the other side. We learned a lot and showed we belong.”
BNL looked sharper in some areas, although 10 service errors tamped down some of that improvement from the opener at Mitchell.
“That’s got to get better,” Wagoner said. “The passing was cleaner, everything else was dirty. It’s a good start. We’re satisfied with the result, with the win, but not satisfied with the way we’re playing. We’re not playing up to our potential.”
BNL will visit Edgewood on Monday.
