CAZENOVIA – On back-to-back nights at Buckley Gym the Cazenovia girls volleyball team picked up high-quality victories that, put together, improved the Lakers’ overall record to 6-1.
Indian River first visited for a non-league match Tuesday, and put Cazenovia in trouble when it won the first set by a comfortable 25-14 margin.
However, once the Lakers won the second set 25-20 it gained much-needed confidence that carried over into a decisive third set that was close and tense.
Cazenovia won that third set 25-22 and then dominated the fourth, closing out IR 25-10 led by Olivia Pirkl, who put away 14 kills and also got 15 digs to go with three assists.
Alyssa Wardell partnered with Pirkl on the back line and earned 12 kills, adding two blocks, with Caitee Fenton getting eight kills as Lucy Bliss fed all of them with 26 assists, adding eight digs. McKenzie Warman stepped up and earned seven digs.
Even though Cazenovia had to turn around and face Mexico 24 hours later, it turned out to be quite a lopsided match, the Lakers wasting little time putting away the Tigers in a 25-8, 25-9, 25-13 sweep.
Seven different players came up with 15 aces, with Bliss leading the way by earning three to go with 17 assists. Nine Lakers picked up at least one kill on a deep front line where Sofie Reger led with five kills and Jocelyn Szalach got four kills. Olivia Ruddy matched Pirkl’s total of three kills.
Cazenovia faces two tough matches next week, going to Phoenix on Monday and then meeting Homer at Buckley Gym on Oct. 2, the Trojans and Firebirds sitting first and second, respectively, in the OHSL Liberty National division standings.
