Benton survives a scare, 3-1 over Williamsburg

By Jeff Holmes

VAN HORNE — Somewhere in the middle of a fourth-set rally, Benton Community volleyball coach Mike Embretson looked down at his watch and commented to the nearest person to him, “My watch just said my heart is beating too fast…I need to relax.”

In the end, he didn’t need to worry, but at the time, maybe, but his Bobcats took good care of their coach, taking a 3-1 win over a scrappy Williamsburg squad.

But it was anything but easy. Benton won 25-20, 27-25, 12-25, 25-20, and that second set was the key to the whole thing.

The Raiders led throughout the set and were within two points of tying the match, leading 23-18. But the Lady ‘Cats battled back, scoring nine of the last 11 points to pull out the 27-25 win. If Embretson’s watch had dinged in the fourth set, what about this rally?

“Second set?” he asked. “It was okay. It wasn’t actually beeping at me, but it told me that it was getting high.”

But in the third, Williamsburg roared back, building up a 17-4 lead then splitting the last 16 points to get the 25-12 win, but Benton had had enough of the nonsense.

The Bobcats never trailed but the Raiders wouldn’t go away, but big kills by Talulah Schroeder and Anna Embretson down the stretch allowed them to finish the way they started with a 25-20 win.

Junior setter Brynnlee Seeck collected her 500th career assist on her way to 53 of them on the night, 19 of them to Schroeder for kills.

Chloe DeGroot added 15 kills and Embertson 13 along with 18 digs. Lily Schulte led the team with 20 digs.

Benton will be back in action Saturday at the East Marshall Invitational.

BENTON COMMUNITY 3, WILLIAMSBURG 1

Williamsburg 20 25 25 20
Benton Community 25 27 12 25