By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Big points demand big players. While nobody on Bedford North Lawrence’s roster can be considered “huge” in terms of physical size, the Stars can be measured in other ways. They were colossal when it counted.
Scoring clutch points at the end of each set, surviving the streaks in between, BNL swept past Edgewood in three competitive sets during the home opener on Monday night. The Stars (1-1) fought off a possible sectional opponent with a 25-22, 25-22, 25-22 triumph. The scores were identical, the sets were not. But each one ended on the same note – enormous points to determine the outcome.
In the first set, BNL blasted to a 10-point advantage before holding on. In the second, the Mustangs galloped to an 8-1 lead before the Stars responded. In the third, neither team could pull away to a sizable advantage until BNL created some space and sprinted to the finish.
“We have girls ready to put it away,” BNL coach Aaron Wagoner said. “We have girls stepping up into who they are. They’re not big physically, but they are absolute beasts.”
During the opening set, those beasts were howling. Lily Mishler and Jenna Allen cracked two service aces each as the Stars roared to an 15-5 lead and forecast a quick night. That prediction was like a weather report – wrong. Edgewood (2-2) battled back within 22-21 before the Stars answered with Ellie Nubbie’s pass that sailed long and found open floor, followed by two Edgewood errors and Mishler’s rocket kill to close it out.
In the second, the Mustangs ripped in front, forcing the Stars to battle back. They did so with two blocks from Izzy Root, with two Allen aces, with a Root ace and Emry Crane’s tip point for a 17-13 turnaround. At 22-21, the Stars capped the set with a Root spike, followed by another Root blast at the net after Mishler made a heads-up save to keep the rally alive.
“We got in our heads a little bit,” Allen said. “They had a run, but we were able to pull through that. It shows how tough our team can be. It shows our determination. This was a good start, it gives us more confidence.”
At the conclusion of the third set, the key points came from Root (a kill for 21-18), Allen (a block for 22-19), and two Mishler kills (for 24-19 and finally for match point).
“We’re still tweaking the lineups, and it’s just staying focused to push through,” Wagoner said. “There’s a tendency to get complacent, the ball control goes all over the place. It’s just taking the foot off the gas, not staying engaged.”
Mishler totaled 11 kills and three aces, Allen had five aces and four kills, Root added six kills and four blocks, and Crane finished with six kills. Adalynn Bailey set it all up with 27 assists and four aces, and Nubbie had 12 digs.
“It’s a good start,” Wagoner said, “especially if we have to play them in the sectional.”
BNL will visit Bloomfield on Tuesday.
