Undefeated going into 2009, the Canastota girls volleyball team nearly saw that perfect mark get snatched away.
Adirondack came to Laidlaw Gym Monday night and pushed the match to five games before the Raiders finished on top.
Right away, the Wildcats showed its strength, taking the opening game 25-20. Canastota answered by claiming the second game by that same margin, then dominating the third game 25-14 to go up 2-1.
To its credit, Adirondack, on the brink of defeat in the fourth game, pulled it out 26-24, but ran out of energy in the fifth game as Canastota, by a comfortable 25-13 margin, finished it off.
Jessica Patterelli picked up 27 assists, adding eight kiills, two aces and 11 digs. Denae Rinaldo was just as versatile, earning 14 kills and 10 digs, while Sarah Willis got 10 kills. Chelsea Backus (eight digs) and April Swanson (five digs) hustled well, too.
