Rough finish: Dragons beat Braves in sectional finals

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BROWNSTOWN — Some losses are tougher than others.

On their home floor, against their biggest rivals, in the Sectional 30 Championship, Brownstown Central’s volleyball team fell to Silver Creek 25-23, 26-24, 25-23 on Saturday.

In the opening set, the teams tied the score eight times.

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Tied at 17, the Dragons used a 5-0 run, which was spurred by a block from Kiersten Cooper, to go up 22-17.

The Dragons maintained the lead until a service error and kill by the Braves’ Keeli Darlage cut the deficit to 24-23. On the next point, Cooper delivered a kill to put the visitors up 1-0.

Brownstown coach Jennifer Shade said the team played anxiously to start the match.

“I think we came in so scared, with so much pressure on our shoulders to win,” she said. “At times, we played scared versus playing confident. It just got the best of us.”

Silver Creek took its the momentum into the second set, constructing a 9-3 advantage. The Braves chipped away at the deficit until tying the game at 22 points.

After tying again at 23 and 24, the Dragons were able to grind-it-out to take the second set.

Brownstown built a 6-2 lead to start the third set, and held the lead until a 5-0 run by the Dragons tied it at 21.

The Dragons took the next three points before a kill by Addie Wilkerson brought it to 24-23.

While the Braves had a chance, they couldn’t make the comeback on the next point.

Kendra McCory led the Braves with 13 kills, Keeli Darlage had eight and Wilkerson added seven. Cooper led the Dragons with 16 kills and Karli Ware added 10.

Serving, the Braves went a lackluster 56-for-69 with three aces. The Dragons went 68-for-75 with seven aces on serves.

“We missed 13 serves, and that’s too many,” Shade said. “You can’t miss that many in a big match. It think the nerves got the best of us. I don’t think we came out confident to play. We played more to not make errors, and when you play like that it is tough to win ball games.”

Brownstown finished 30-6 on its season with the loss. In the semifinals on Saturday afternoon, the Braves topped North Harrison 25-3, 25-6, 25-11.

The Braves will graduate three seniors: Brooklyn Snodgrass, Heidi Booher and Madisen Polly.

“They have been awesome seniors,” Shade said. “They are kids that come in and work hard. They’re kids that love volleyball that want to be here. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but we wish them the best as they go on.”

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