Bulldogs send the Bison home

HARRISONBURG — Buffalo Gap captured the first game behind the cheering of the crowd, only to be silenced by Luray in four games, 18-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-20, Wednesday night in the Shenandoah District semifinals at Eastern Mennonite University.
Luray advanced to the title game and captured a Region B berth against Strasburg with the win.
The Bison took the first game against the Bulldogs in fairly easy fashion; pulling ahead 7-1 and coasting to a 25-18 win thanks in part to the loud fans. Alison Wilkins paved the way for the sixth-seeded Bison with two aces, three kills and a block.
“We were trying to be very enthusiastic and jubilant,” Gap fan A.W. Woolfrey excitedly said after the first game. “I thought they fed off of our cries for victory.”
The second game was all Bulldogs, taking the momentum from the Gap fans and capturing a 25-17 second game victory. Several unforced errors from the back row spelled disaster for the Bison in the second game.
“I feel like the girls hung in there,” Gap coach Sara Botkin said. “I think we hit the ball hard, kept it in play and had some long rallies, but we are a little disappointed.”
The Bulldogs continued where they left off in the first game during the second session behind a monster performance by senior captain Katie Cubbage.
On every big Bulldog point, Cubbage touched the ball at least once, including a stretch after the Bison narrowed the gap to 20-17 to stamp a Bulldog paw print on a game three victory, 25-18.
Gap could not find any of the early momentum, falling behind in the fourth game, yet again, 6-2.
The Gap cheers of “Go, Gap, Go!” echoed through the gym in the fourth game in an attempt to motive the girls to challenge the Bulldogs for the Region B birth.
A kill by Wilkins and an ace by Lauren Marshall made the score 6-4. A Luray miss hit gave the Bison one more point before the Bulldogs began scoring again.
Wilkins was the stopper for every Bulldog rally in the fourth game, once again, ending the rally on another kill.
The Gap girls rallied to make the score 12-12, capitalizing on Bulldog errors during the fourth game.
“[The crowd] was a lot of help,” Wilkins quoted. “They are normally quiet and having them cheering really pumps us up and got us going.”
The fourth game was dominated by the Luray front line, slamming kills of the Bison to take the Region B bid right out of the mouths of the buffaloes from western Augusta County.
Gap had one final chance down 24-19. The Bison were able to capture one point, but all would be for knot as the Bulldogs finished off the Bison’s season and the career of eight of the 10 players on the team.
Luray will take on the number one seed Wilson Memorial tonight in the Shenandoah District tournament championship. Luray will then challenge Strasburg Monday while Wilson plays the Bull Run District runner-up.