Third time is charm for Bergan

The Fremont Bergan volleyball team could’ve psyched themselves out, but instead psyched themselves up.

Facing a team that had defeated them twice this season the Lady Knights swept West Point Central Catholic 25-23, 25-15, 25-23 in the opening round of the C2-4 subdistrict volleyball tournament Monday night at Logan View High School.

“We focused on what they were doing and we really put it all together,” said Bergan senior Courtney Cook who ended the three-game match with 19 kills. “This was a growing game; we want to go 6-0 and win that state championship ... that’s the goal.”

Bergan head coach Sue Wewel said it was just a matter of the team finally following the game plan.

“We knew that No. 24 (Tatem Kreikemeier) was a really nice setter for them and if we could make her pass the first ball they wouldn’t get as great of a hit,” the coach said. “And we knew they were going to go line and I thought we moved our block over well and therefore were able to take a little bit of that line away.”

Sophomore outside hitter Hailey Steuter tallied 12 kills to lead the Bluejays and senior Ashley Knievel ended with nine.

Jessy Schroedter added 10 kills for Bergan on the night and added two blocks.

In all three sets Bergan jumped out to big leads.

The Lady Knights started with leads of 9-2 in the first set, 7-4 in the second set and 10-2 in the third.

Wewel said it was because of the serving of Kari Schmitz, Janae Radtke and Jordan Ruskamp.

“The first three servers out of the block we have to have serving well and they did exactly what I asked of them tonight,” Wewel said.

Ruskamp served for 24 points while Radtke ended with 16 points and Schmitz 12. Schmitz and Radtke also added 10 and nine digs respectively.

Bergan’s Hailey Kirby put up 33 set assists and also added three kills.

“She stepped up for us tonight,” Wewel said. “For it being the first time in a huge game she performed well for only being a freshman.”

Bergan won the second set in a runaway but in the first and second sets the Bluejays fought back after Bergan’s fast starts.

After Bergan took a 9-2 lead in the first set WPCC chipped away and finally took the lead at 18-17 behind two straight kills from Steuter.

A Cook kill and ace though put the Lady Knights back on top 21-19 and later a Schroedter block made it 24-21.

In the third, two Schroedter kills and a Cook kill gave Bergan a 10-2 lead and later two WPCC errors made it 15-5 in favor of Bergan.

But two more back-to-back kills by Steuter jump started a comeback by WPCC as they pulled to within 15-9 and then 17-13.

Kreikemeier then sparked a 6-point swing behind four ace serves to put the Bluejays on top 19-17.

Later a Knievel block of Schroedter put WPCC up 23-19, but the Lady Knights scored the final six points to pick up the win and move on to face top seeded Lyons-Decatur Northeast.

Lyons downed Oakland-Craig 25-16, 25-13, 25-14 in the other half of the bracket Monday night.

Brianne Bacon had a match-high 19 kills and Emily Ueding added 14 for the Cougars. KayCe Hollman had 12 points, including three ace serves. Ashley Bacon had four ace serves for the Lyons-Decatur, 22-8.

Josie Friis-Hansen had six kills and two ace serves for Oakland-Craig. Kayla Arlt had five kills and three ace serves for Oakland-Craig, 5-28. Earlier on Monday night, O-C defeated Stanton 25-22, 25-23, 26-24.

The subdistrict final is scheduled for 6:30 tonight at Logan View.