BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Panthers fought hard against the Berry Vikings over the Regular Season Championship title. Leah Nielsen had a season high 10 blocks and the team put up 9 aces together. Birmingham-Southern started off with good looks taking the first two sets, but Berry ended up the victor taking the next three. 

Berry went up 8-5 to start off set one, but Kennedy Dickens started a five point run for the Panthers that put them up 10-8. The Vikings tied it back up at 12-12. Alyssa Coats and Gigi Fields put down a kill each to help push the Panthers forward and a service ace from Gracie Sims really secured the lead for BSC at 16-12. A big block from Kylie Wilhelmi and Kennedy Dickens pushed the Panthers past point 20 and gave them a five point lead over the Vikings. Berry fought back to tie it up at 24-24, but Birmingham-Southern shut it down with two back to back blocks that ended the set 26-24.

Set two started off with a 6-4 lead for the Panthers and then extended to 8-6 with a kill from Alyssa Coats and a block from Kylie Wilhelmi and Leah Nielsen. A six point run for  BSC gave the Panthers a 7 point lead at 14-7 with a big block from Ainsley Schultz and Leah Nielsen and another from Kennedy Dickens and Kylie Wilhelmi. Kate Powell also added back to back aces in there to help the Panthers. Berry continued to fight on pushing to close the lead to only two points, but BSC was not done and kept pushing forward to take set two 25-21. 

The Vikings took the first lead in set three at 5-2 and then 9-5. The Panthers fought back to close the gap 14-12, but the Vikings took the next six out of eight points to push their lead to 20-14. BSC held Berry at set point for three points with back to back kills from Alyssa Coats, but eventually fell 25-18. 

Set four was very similar to set three with Berry taking the lead early on. The Panthers were able to make it a close set at 16-15, but the Vikings were not giving up their lead and once again pushed on. Berry went on to take set four 25-18. 

Berry won the serve to start off set five, but the Panthers quickly shifted things in their direction. The Vikings had the lead at 4-1, but with back to back kills from Alyssa Coats and one from Leah Nielsen tied it up for the Panthers. Only behind by two points, the Panthers would go on to take the next five out of six points to take the lead 9-7. There was a shift in momentum for the Vikings as they took five straight to take the lead 13-10. The Panthers fought back and tied it up at match point 14-14, but the Vikings took the next two to win the final set and the match 16-14. 


Records
Birmingham-Southern 17-4 (11-2 SAA), #8 Berry 18-3 (13-1 SAA)

Set Summary
SET ONE: 26-24 Birmingham-Southern
SET TWO: 25-21 Birmingham-Southern
SET THREE: 25-18 Berry
SET FOUR: 25-18 Berry
SET FIVE: 16-14 Berry

Up next
The Panthers will play their next match on Sunday, October 23 at 12 p.m. against Oglethorpe for their Senior Day celebration.