The Bryan Golden Bears sent their seniors out on a high note Monday evening, surviving a five-set thriller against Stryker in their final home match of the season at the Golden Bear Gymnasium. Bryan claimed the victory with set scores of 25-21, 25-18, 22-25, 12-25, and a nerve-wracking 18-16 in the deciding frame.
Bryan took early control of the match, building a two-set lead behind energetic play at the net and solid serving. Stryker responded fiercely, taking the next two sets to force a fifth set. In a back-and-forth deciding frame that went past the standard 15-point mark, the Golden Bears dug deep to secure the 18-16 victory with Jozie Cordy serving two aces for the final two points of the match.
Bryan’s seniors stepped up big on senior night. Senior Alea Shilling commanded the attack with a team-high 15 kills, alongside 2 aces and 8 digs. Fellow senior Kelsie Thiel dominated the net, racking up 5 blocks and 7 kills. Elle Moreland provided additional power at the net, racking up 12 kills.
Setter Jozie Cordy executed the offense with a 48-assist performance while adding 8 aces from the service line. Defensively, Gisele Kidston anchored the back row with 20 digs, complemented by Adalyn Fruchey, who stepped up with 12 digs.
With the win, the Golden Bears improve to 9-11 on the season. Bryan turns its attention to its final league game of the year on Tuesday when they travel to face the Lady Vikings at Evergreen. Action begins with the freshman match at 4:45 PM.