MANLIUS – One sight as familiar as rough November weather, yet missing the last couple of years, was seeing girls volleyball teams from Baldwinsville and Shenendehowa battle for Class AA regional supremacy.
This long-time inter-sectional rivalry renewed itself Saturday at Fayetteville-Manlius. With a state final four berth at stake, the Bees put out its best effort, only to get swept in three sets by the Plainsmen.
Despite heavy tournament schedules this fall, B’ville and Shen had not gone head-to-head, but were still quite familiar with each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
And it didn’t take long for the Plainsmen to assert itself, taking the lead for good early in the first set and rolling along until it had earned a 25-14 decision.
Not once in that opening set did the Bees earn back-to-back points. What was more alarming was that, on several occasions, what seemed like easy points due to spikes were kept alive by Shen’s remarkable defensive ability.
Both here, and in a 25-9 second set, B’ville did not make a lot of genuine mistakes. It just was facing an opponent playing at an extremely high level, both on offense and defense.
Aside from its ability to find open space in the middle of the floor on touch shots, the Plainsmen also served well, giving away just three total points on errant serves.
Despite all this, B’ville, trailing most of the third set, fought back to tie it, 19-19, only to have Shen put up three consecutive points and ultimately end the match 25-21.
The Plainsmen advanced to this weekend’s state final four in Glens Falls while B’ville faced the end of a season where, under first-year coach Danielle Sayler, it had regained its familiar spot atop the area large-school ranks.
In 2023, the Bees will not have on hand departing seniors Kyrah Wilbur, Kathyrn AuClair, Maddie Diep, Erin Gregoire and Sarah Coomes, but bring back top setter MadisonMacKaig along with libero Sadie Phelps and hitters such as Amelia Hahn and Nela Loftin.
