Undefeated, and with a fifth consecutive Section III title secured away, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys volleyball team set out to grab the only prize it really wanted.
In order to have it, though, the Northstars would have to make it through last Saturday night’s Division I regional final at Fayetteville-Manlius, and it almost did – but ended up on the wrong end of a painful five-set defeat to Shenendehowa.
Going in, C-NS seemed to have all of the advantages. To start with, it was playing close to home, on a familiar court where it had won during the regular season when it had beaten F-M.
Second, the opponent, Section II champion Shenendehowa, had to win a regional match against Section I champion the night before, and even if it was a three-set sweep over Section I’s Suffern.
Once it got underway, though, any concerns about fatigue on the Plainsmen’s part dissipated when it won the opening set 25-19.
Trailing for one of the few times all season, C-NS quickly caught up, easily winning the second set 25-13, but this only proved the prelude to the heavy drama the rest of the night.
A close third set tilted in both directions before the Northstars prevailed, 25-22, helped by timely blocks at the net from Carter Wisely and John Hendry.
And it had chances to put away the match in the fourth set, too, only to see Shen fight back and, by that same 25-22 margin, pull back even.
The final set was a race to 15 points, and to win by two. C-NS led through most of it, and at 14-13 had one match point. Shen fought it off, regained the serve and got its own match point –which it converted.
By that tiny 16-14 margin, the Northstars’ perfect season and state championship dreams were dashed, but it is still a relatively young team with just four seniors graduating, though it includes Wisely and Dan Seliger.
With main setter Brandon Millias and libero Trace LaRobardiere, along with Hendry, Kevin Felasco and Grant Sennett, among a large group of returning players for 2020 means that another C-NS push for that elusive state title is quite likely.
