10/19: New Berlin United Boys Volleyball vs. Sussex Hamilton:
United Caps off the Regular Season Strong with win against Sussex
On Monday, New Berlin United boys volleyball faced off against Sussex Hamilton in one of their toughest matchups of the year. On most occasions, United has been able to plow through their opponents with ease, but that was not the case against Sussex. Despite only having a 6-10 record going into the match, they made United work in the final non-conference matchup of the season.
Wake Up Call for United Early On
In the first two sets, both sides went back and forth with many lead changes, something United is not very familiar with. Neither team had a lead of over 3 points in the first set, and no server served for more than 4 points in a row.
For United, Sid Blessington and Sam Ludwig, senior middle and outside hitters, established their presence, but they were met with strong resistance from Sussex. In the end, Sussex took the first set by a score of 25-22, but the dropped set did not discourage United.
In the second set, United responded, but Sussex continued to answer the call and made some crucial points to keep it close. Unlike the first set, the teams went on runs of 4 or 5 points of their own, and after United got out to a 20-15 lead in the set and looked like they were going to even it up, Sussex responded with 6 straight points to give them the lead.
After taking a timeout, United comes out and scored 4 straight points to put themselves in a match point position, and end up winning the set 25-22. By winning the set by the same score Sussex did in the first set, the total score through two sets was 47-47, proving how tight these sets were.
No More Messing Around
The third set brought more back-and-forth action until around midway through, when United went on a commanding run to give themselves a 17-12 lead. After winning the previous set, they had all the momentum and never gave up the lead.
Graham Gasper, a senior from Eisenhower, led this run with crucial hits and blocks, along with serving from team captain Jake Berenz. United won the set 25-17, and the 8 point difference ended up being the largest point differential in the entire match.
Closing it Out
In the fourth set, Sussex responded and regained the momentum. It had the feeling that it was going to go to a deciding fifth set after Sussex got out to a 16-12 lead with a 6 point run.
United looked sloppy, but after a timeout they sharpened up and, with the help of 3 point-winning blocks in a row from Sid Blessington, went on an 11-3 run. They closed it out with a 25-21 win in the final set, giving them a 3-1 win over Sussex.
Moving Forward
United’s momentum is through the roof after their win against Sussex, and they look to continue this momentum in their regional matchup on Friday against the winner of West Allis Hale and Wauwatosa West. Sid Blessington, who was easily the MVP of this game, is someone that will be counted on to continue this level of play as they enter the state tournament.
