Kirchner, Svrluga Named Athletes of the Week

An ace on the course and a long win streak on the court are behind this week’s iBerkshires.com/Southwestern Vermont Health Care Athletes of the week.

 

Lenox Memorial senior Kelsey Kirchner is a big reason why the Millionaires have the longest winning streak in Berkshire County volleyball this fall.

 

Kirchner is the top hitter for Lenox, which is playing the kind of volleyball that took the Millionaires all the way to a Western Massachusetts Class C Final and an appearance in the Division 5 Sweet 16 last season.

 

This season, Lenox started with a 3-2 loss against reigning D5 State Champion Mount Greylock and proceeded to beat all comers, winning 12 straight.

 

A typical night for Kirchner was Thursday’s win at Pioneer Valley Christian Academy, when she had a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs.

 

She and the Millionaires followed that up 24 hours later with a five-set victory at home against Wahconah.

 

On Monday, Lenox faces another tough non-league game against a Berkshire County rival when it travels to Lee to take on the Wildcats.

 

Mount Greylock junior Will Svrluga said he went to Sunday’s Berkshire Classic at the Country Club of Pittsfield feeling a little tense.

 

He found a pretty good way to relax, making a hole-in-one on the 153-yard, par-3 fourth hole.

 

“That kind of let me relax, because it took the pressure off of shooting a good round and let me kind of play golf and not worry about what I shot, because I had that, no matter what,” Svrluga said.

 

As for the ace – the first in Svrluga’s playing career – he approached it like any other, hitting his 6 iron off the tee.

 

“I just swung a normal swing,” he said. “It went right at the pin, perfectly straight, never left the pin and went right in.”

 

Or, at least that’s what he heard. Like a lot of golfers who get a hole-in-one, Svrluga did not actually see the ball hit the bottom of the cup.

 

“I think it rolled in,” he said. “I was on the tee box. I couldn’t really tell. The coach that was with [our group], he threw up his hands, and I was like, ‘There’s no way. There’s just no way.’ “

 

Svrluga and the Mounties have two matches left this week to get ready for the Western Massachusetts Division 2 Championships at Taconic Golf Club.

 

The iBerkshires.com Athlete of the Week is sponsored by Southwestern Vermont Health Care.