Just as in recent years, a primary motivation for the Chittenango girls volleyball team is the knowledge that, this Saturday, all of the Section III winter championships will get decided in its home gymnasium.
As such, the Bears, holding the no. 2 seed in Class A, was eager to get started, and it would in last Thursday’s quarterfinal against no. 7 seed Watertown, who had swept Camden in three sets in the opening round, but could not do the same here, Chittenango prevailing over the Cyclones in four sets.
It could not have started better for the Bears, who tore through Watertown 25-7 in the first set. Perhaps it was too easy, for Chittenango relaxed and the Cyclones rose up to win the second set by a 25-21 margin.
Yet the third set was also lopsided, 25-14, in the Bears’ favor, and it prevented another comeback by beating Watertown 25-20 in the fourth set, closing out the match.
Hannah Bailey had 18 assists, seven digs and four kills, while Allie Cerio had 16 assists, nine digs and four kills. Emily Wood, with 18 digs, and Ashley Young, with 11 digs, helped on the Bears’ back line as Mackenzie Stevens got 10 kills and Tyla Cutrie added nine kills and three aces. Wood and Allison Choi had five kills apiece.
Chittenango, with this win, advanced to the Class A semifinal against no. 3 seed Whitesboro, who swept East Syracuse Minoa in its quarterfinal, with the winner going to the Bears’ home gym on Saturday for the sectional against top seed Carthage or no. 4 seed New Hartford.
While all this was going on, Chittenango’s boys volleyball team remained undefeated, looking quite impressive at home last Wednesday night as it put together a 25-12, 25-15, 25-21 sweep over the Oneida Indians.
Only the third set proved close as Zane Garvey amassed a career-best 12 aces, plus seven kills. Tyler Howard served up seven aces, added 18 assists and earned three kills and three blocks, too. Rob Howard also got seven kills as Seamus St. Ledger got three kills and Justin Makowski four kills. Cooper Young and Tom Rooney had five digs apiece.
On Saturday afternoon, Chittenango swept Sauquoit Valley 25-16, 25-18, 25-16 to stay undefeated.
It included Tyler Howard getting 26 assists, eight kills and four aces, with Garvey and St. Ledger also earning eight kills and Rob Howard adding seven kills. Grant Czarnecki contributed four kills and five blocks as St. Ledger (eight digs), Tom Rooney (six digs) and Mike Culkin (five digs) led the defense.
