To cap off a busy and successful week of action, the Cazenovia girls volleyball team went for a regular-season sweep of Marcellus Friday night at Buckley Gym.
It didn’t start out that well — but the Lakers proved to be the stronger team in the end, taking out the Mustangs in four games.
Having already beaten Marcellus in a five-game battle on Dec. 10, Cazenovia had to feel confident going in — but the Mustangs had improved in a month’s time, as it demonstrated by fighting past the Lakers 25-22 in the opening game.
That served as a proper alarm for Cazenovia, who drilled through the second game 25-10. And though each of the next two games proved closer, the Lakers prevailed there, too, by margins of 25-19 and 25-20.
Chelsea Lauria put together 20 assists, five aces, five kills and two blocks, while fellow setter Megan Robinson had 14 assists. Up front, Sarah Race pounded away 10 kills, with Lizzy Reed and Hannah Koennecke each earning seven kills. Alexis Markowski, with five kills, added further depth as Samantha Vulcano (19 assists) led the Mustangs’ effort.
Prior to that, the Lakers (10-2, 8-1 league) won back-to-back road matches, starting last Monday at Oneida, where it earned a 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 win over the Indians.
Each game proved tight, but Cazenovia still pulled through. Robinson had 15 assists, while Lauria produced 11 assists as each setter finished with six digs. Aiding them on the back line, libero Rachel Burbidge had 16 digs.
Meanwhile, Markowski earned a team-best eight kills, while Koennecke and Reed got six kills apiece and Reed added nine digs. Sarah Race and Brodie Shephard added to the defense with six digs apiece.
A night later, at Jordan-Elbridge, the Lakers struggled early against the Eagles, but rallied to win in four games.
J-E took the opening game 25-17, only to have Cazenovia answer by claiming the second game 25-18. A close third game went the Lakers’ way, 25-21, and it closed out the match 25-10 in the fourth game.
Koennecke took on a larger role, earning 10 kills as Reed, Markowski and Melanie Arehart earned three kills apiece. Robinson backed up her 15 assists with six aces as Lauria earned six assists, three aces and two kills.
Cazenovia would be home again Wednesday to face Phoenix, which preceded a Friday trip to Hannibal.
