Berkshire opened strong, taking the first two sets against Kirtland in CVC Valley play. With a win, the Badgers took sole possession of first place in the division standings. But the Hornets stung back, holding off a Berkshire rally in the third to force a fourth set. However, the Badgers controlled the set from the beginning and took the 3-1 win. Berkshire (15-3) now moves into sole possession of first place in the CVC Valley. Wins in two of their last three conference games guarantees at worst a share of the title. The Badgers success came from their ability to limit Kirtland’s go-to hitters, Ellie Spencer and Kristiana Katic, rather forcing other players to be in those roles. Coach Joni Prots knows while the Badgers have a strong all-around game, setting the tone up front is a major key they need to use. “We talk every game about getting more touches and helping our defense out,” Prots said. “We can get the blocks up front and make it so we don’t need to have a pass in the back row. They came up big, were ready and we need to make sure we carry this into the last few games of our schedule.” The Badgers’ block and attack was headlined by Kirsten Shaffer. The senior had 21 kills to go with eight blocks. But her work up front wasn’t a solo effort, as she was aided by Jill Smetana who put up seven kills, five blocks and nine digs. Being able to work the block and have the attack going early instilled an early confidence all through the team. “As a team, we get really hyped before games,” Shaffer said. “Us all being able to work together brings up the spirit and gets us all to want to play that well. I focused on the positive energy and cheering on the team whether its on the court or from the bench. That really helps get us up.” Marissa Rish also had a strong day on the attack, as she had eight kills to go with reaching 1,000 career assists early in the contest. Berkshire never trailed in the first two sets but came out in the third set slower compared to the other two. The Badgers battled back to tie the set at 19 but were unable to push the score in their favor. But Prots had a short, simple message for her team. “It was just one set, and we still had the lead,” Prots said. “We just needed one more. We had to go back to remembering what was scoring for us, it felt like in the second half of the third set we stopped attacking and got a little bit tentative. It was a reminder to keep doing the things that had been scoring for us. They responded well.” The message worked, and Berkshire forced Kirtland to use both of its timeouts as the Badgers built up a 16-5 lead. With the win also avenging a five set loss to the Hornets earlier in the season, Berkshire is now on the doorstep of clinching back-to-back CVC championships. While that feeling is nice in the moment, Shaffer and the players aren’t basking in it too much, as they have their eyes set on some much bigger prizes. “We can’t change the course now. We just need to be the same in practice and in games moving forward,” Shaffer said. “If we keep listening to the coaches, working hard every day. We’ll be seeing the results that we want.” Spencer still led the way for Kirtland’s attack with eight kills, while also racking up nine digs, other players such as Karli DiFranco stepped up to fill those roles. Coach Ricky Sanders is aware his team needs to cut out the mistakes that plagued them in the contest with Berkshire and his team will be a threat in the postseason. “We have a lot of players that are ready when their number is called,” Sanders said. “Karli is currently playing through an injury. She toughed it out tonight and said she’s gonna fight through it. It did show tonight at points, her elevation wasn’t there, same with Ellie and you could see it all over the place.” Kirtland stays in the conference race but need to win out, starting with a home match against Wickliffe on Oct. 3. Berkshire travels to Cardinal on the same day, aiming to eliminate its rival from title contention.