(New Buffalo, MI) - The New Buffalo High School volleyball team is taking a 16-0 record into the post season.

 

The Bison on October 22 ended the regular season with a three set victory at home against Colon High School.     

                                                           

Colon trailing by seven points early came from behind to take a 24-22 lead before the Bison scored the last four points to win the first set.                          

            

Ashley Hauseman and Kelsey Corkran defended a spike at the net to give the Bison a 25 to 24 lead before Colon on the next series hit the ball out of bounds to give New Buffalo the first set victory.                         

 

The Bison led 9 to 6 in the second set thanks to four consecutive points off serves by Amanda Jones.

           

Colon kept narrowing the lead but their momentum each time was broken by points from spikes at mid-court and behind the net by Ava Mullen and Sophia DeOliveira.

           

The Bison won the second set 25 to 18 with the winning point coming from a difficult to reach serve by Corkran.

 

Spikes from Mullen, DeOliveira and Hauseman also stopped comeback attempts by the opposition in the 25 to 18 third set victory.

           

Four consecutive points off serves by Jones late in the final set provided some cushion for the Bison who locked up the victory with a soft put back out of reach from the opposition by DeOliveira.

 

Head coach Kevin Labaj said the team did not play as many games this season because some teams chose not to play because of COVID-19 but a perfect regular season was still just as special.

 

Many of the wins were against high quality teams from larger schools.

 

“We still played really good competition and the girls showed up for all of those games. 16-0 speaks for itself,” he said.

 

Labaj said he also likes the team’s chances of repeating as champions of their division in the upcoming Berrien Cass St. Joseph Conference tournament and the District 4 tournament.

 

The Bison begin conference tournament play against Countryside Academy on October 30 at Countryside Academy.

 

A victory would mean New Buffalo playing for the conference championship of their division October 31 against the winner of Michigan Lutheran and River Valley.

 

New Buffalo hosts the District 4 tournament which begins November 5.