Put together the talents of Mackenzie Martin, Montanna Gedney, Sarah Schwartz and Sara Galante, and the Westhill girls volleyball team may make it difficult for anyone to top them in 2018.
The Warriors made this clear in last Monday’s match at Cazenovia. Once it survived a first-set scare, Westhill swept the Lakers, following a 26-24 opener with 25-17 and 25-20 wins in the next two sets.
Martin achieved a rare triple-double by earning 13 assists, amassing 10 kills and getting 11 digs, while Gedney was ruthless on the service line, recording 11 aces to go with her eight kills and nine digs.
Galante joined in with 10 kills and seven digs, while Schwartz joined Martin on the back line to gain 11 assists and six digs. Kate Heinrich matched Gedney’s total of eight kills as Giannai Militi (seven digs) and Jacob Daniul (five digs) helped out.
Before going to Saturday’s Victor Tournament, Westhill won its seventh in a row at Phoenix two nights later, prevailing 25-13, 25-12, 25-14 over the Firebirds.
Schwartz had nine assists and Martin six assists to go with four kills and three aces. Gedney had five aces, with Galante earning five kills. Katie Culligan and Aubrey Thomson each gained four kills.
Solvay went through a tense match with Homer last Tuesday, winning the first two sets 25-19 and 25-23, only to have the Trojans take the next two sets 26-16 and 25-23.
But the Bearcats prevailed 25-13 in a lopsided fifth set as Allie Posnick got 26 assists, 11 digs and eight kills. Myah Platler had nine kills and 11 digs, with Nicole Backus getting seven kills.
Sophia Guadagnolo served up nine aces as Jordan Bamba managed 27 digs as Alexa Filicia added 17 digs, plus five aces and three kills. Izzy Lambert and Genea Kadlubowski earned five kills apiece.
In Friday’s 25-14, 25-22, 25-16 win over Institute of Technology Central, the Bearcats got six aces from Guadagnolo and five aces from Filicia, with Anastasia LaFlair earning seven kills and Kadlubowski five kills. Posnick gained six assists.
Marcellus had handled ITC 25-10, 25-12, 25-16 last Tuesday as Bronte Stahl had 19 assists and five aces, with Sydney French getting six kills and four aces. Michaela Godbold also had four aces as Anna Fern earned five kills.
Then the Mustangs had its own match with Homer on Thursday, but unlike Solvay the Mustangs needed just three sets to put away the Trojans 25-23, 25-13, 25-20.
Along with her seven kills, French produced 13 digs and three aces, with Elaine Grattan adding three kills. Stahl gained 14 assists as Godbold had five digs and Evelyn Webster added four digs.
Back on Tuesday night, Jordan-Elbridge lost, 25-18, 25-11, 25-17, to LaFayette, but of greater frustration was Thursday’s five-set defeat to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown.
Twice, the Eagles went in front, winning the first set 25-14 and the third 25-16. Twice, the Rebels rallied, handling the second set 25-10 and the fourth set 25-7, going on to beat J-E 25-15 in the final set.
Through these extremes, Ashlee Eaton had seven assists for the Eagles, with Mackenzie Kreisler getting four aces and Ranait McGuire adding 14 digs. Emily Bard (eight digs), Megan Bard (seven digs) and Paige Lane (six digs) helped on the defensive side.
West Genesee handled Nottingham 25-6, 25-13, 25-9 last Wednesday as Brynn Zajac got seven aces and three kills, with Anna Snyder managing four aces, three kills and eight assists. Mia Lamanna finished with five kills and Sarah Rigge got three kills.
A 25-4, 25-15, 25-8 sweep of Corcoran followed on Friday night, Rigge picking up six aces as Snyder finished with 11 assists and eight different players had kills, none more than the five from Lamanna as Arlea Vecchio had nine digs.
Bishop Ludden fell to Skaneateles 25-20, 25-18, 25-20, with Aurora Deshaies getting eight kills, Emma Catalano 10 assists and Sarah Morrell 11 assists.
