ONONDAGA COUNTY – At least through the early stages of the 2022 season, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys volleyball team may have reclaimed its place atop the area large-school ranks.
Liverpool seized it from the Northstars a season ago, but the Warriors struggled last Tuesday night at Fayetteville-Manlius, taking a three-set defeat to the Hornets.
The 25-15, 25-23, 25-13 decision was only close in the second set, Liverpool seeing Anthony Pezzino pick up 15 kills but no other front-line player getting more than Ben McHerron’s three kills as Jack DeForge had 18 assists.
F-M had more depth up front, with Chris Cleary, who had 14 kills, helped by six kills from Mike McAndrew and five kills from Kieran Egan in front of Connor Sugar, who produced 24 assists.
C-NS, meanwhile, was beating Syracuse City, getting a battle in the second set but still pulling off a 25-18, 26-24, 25-17 sweep as Jack Waite picked up 25 assists and Josh Luce had five digs.
Up front, Joe Seliger, with 13 kills, led the way, Peter Gill getting eight kills as Andrew George earned six kills. Reece Congel and Carter King each had five kills and two blocks.
All of this preceded F-M’s match with C-NS on Thursday night. After a close 25-21 win in the first set, the Northstars rolled through the second set 25-13 and then pulled out a 25-22 third set for the sweep.
Jack Waite’s 35 assists went in three directions. Seliger put away 17 kills, with Congel earning 12 kills and King putting away 10 kills. Gill helped out with five kills and Josh Luce had five digs.
Liverpool responded to the F-M loss well, taking just three sets to top East Syracuse Minoa on Thursday night, with Pezzino picking up 18 kills and 13 digs. Shah Sahak finished with 18 digs. DeForge served up five aces.
Back in action on Friday against Section V’s Midlakes, C-NS roared through a 25-11 first set, then won the second 25-22. Midlakes got its own 25-22 decision in the third, but the Northstars closed it out 25-16 in the fourth.
Seliger, with 13 kills, led a well-balanced front line where Gill had 12 kills and Congel got 11 kills and two blocks, to go with four aces. King had nine kills and three aces as Waite recorded 31 assists.
Also winning on the weekend, Liverpool topped Living Word Academy in four sets Saturday during a duel between both of last fall’s sectional champions.
Though he put away 22 kills, six blocks and 12 digs, Pezzino did get some help as Ben McHerron and Cory Badger had four kills apiece. DeForge had 24 assists and five kills, with Sahak getting 12 digs to go with his five assists.
