Once the early-week snows cleared, each of Chittenango’s volleyball teams would return to action, determined to build on all the good things already done this winter.
For the girls Bears, the fun continued in last Wednesday’s match against Cortland, where it proved it could overcome a poor start to still come out on top in a four-set victory over the Purple Tigers to improve to 11-1 on the season.
Some early concerns were raised when Cortland, by a 25-22 margin, claimed the first set. All that did, though, was make Chittenango angry, and it roared through the second set 25-12 before the Bears took the third set 25-16 and the fourth set 25-19 to close it out.
Tyla Cutrie, with eight kills, led a well-balanced Chittenango front line. Allison Choi gained seven kills, with Megan Mayer adding six kills and nine digs. In her own fine all-around effort, the Bears’ Allie Cerio put together 15 assists, seven kills, three kills and two aces, with Hannah Bailey adding nine assists, four kills and five digs. Ashley Young (12 digs) and Emily Wood (seven digs) helped on the defensive side.
All of this countered the 35 digs from the Purple Tigers’ Kristin Bush as her teammate, Chloe Bush, had 18 assists, with Julia Marshall getting 10 kills and Caitlyn Ruggerio 14 digs, five kills and three aces.
This sets up a big match on Tuesday between Chittenango and East Syracuse Minoa, who had a nine-match win streak broken last Wednesday by Christian Brothers Academy.
On the boys end, Chittenango’s match with Canastota last Tuesday was snowed out, but on Thursday the Bears faced Little Falls and it didn’t last too long, the Mounties subdued in a 25-7, 25-8, 25-10 sweep.
All told, the Bears recorded 18 aces, five of them from Zane Garvey, who also earned eight kills. Tom Rooney added four aces and four digs as Tyler Howard had three aces to go with 15 assists, three kills and two digs.
Seamus St. Leger also earned three aces, plus three kills, while Grant Czarnecki put away a team-best eight kills and Holden Lalor earned four kills. Justin Makowski, with seven assists, and Mike Culkin, with three assists, helped Howard on the back line.
