Chittenango’s girls volleyball team played twice before the holiday break, including last Friday’s match where it beat Mexico in four games.
The Bears lost the opening game 25-21, but rebounded to beat the Tigers 25-18 and 25-20 in the next two games. And in a long fourth game, Chittenango had multiple chances to end the match and Mexico had multiple chances to extend it before the Bears survived in a 32-30 epic.
Hayley Calarco had 14 assists, with Rose Mashie putting together 10 assists and seven kills. Mashie helped a balanced front line where Jenna Barber had eight blocks and Rachel Antelmi earned seven kills and four blocks, plus three aces.
Adding further depth, Brittney Tirabassi and Mackenzie Jones got six kills apiece. In defeat, Mexico saw Rebecca Clark pile up 20 kills and Macy Tefike add 36 assists.
The Bears struck again in Monday’s match against East Syracuse-Minoa, surviving a five-game battle to beat the Spartans.
Again, Chittenango lost the first game, 25-23, and again it took the next two games, by equal 25-18 margins. ESM kept the match alive by claiming the fourth game 25-23, but the Bears rebounded to win the fifth game 25-20.
Tirabassi had 11 kills, plus eight aces. Barber picked up 10 kills and three aces, while Antelmi earned nine kills, four blocks and two aces. Mashie mixed in 13 assists and eight aces. ESM got 32 assists from Paige Holt and 15 kills from Mallory Martino.
Oneida, before taking its holiday rest, delivered a 25-16, 25-8, 25-23 sweep of Whitesboro on Dec. 17. Only the third game proved close as Rachael Kline earned 11 kills and Paige Pendleton added nine kills. Melissa Murawski worked on the back line, finishing with 10 assists.
Vernon Verona Sherrill took a 25-23, 25-20, 25-18 defeat to Living Word Academy last Monday night.
Alexis Albro still had six kills, nine digs and five aces, while Rachel Brown got 10 assists, six kills and three digs. Melissa Meyers got seven digs as Stephanie Siriano mixed in seven assists, five kills and four digs. Living Word won with Alex Bellucci (11 kills), Robin Cullen (10 kills) and Natalie Mazur (six kills, 11 digs) on the front line and Laurin Smith earning 34 assists.
