Now the Skaneateles girls volleyball team has much more company than it had a season ago, when it only had to conquer one opponent – Cazenovia – on its way to a berth in the state Class C tournament.
Due to a move of several teams from a winter to a fall schedule, the Lakers will play in a full-fledged Onondaga High School League this autumn, and one of the newcomers provided the opposition for Thursday night’s season opener.
Solvay, a traditional volleyball power in the 1980s and ’90s, showed up and pushed Skaneateles in the first game, but still fell short as the Lakers completed a three-game sweep.
That opener went well beyond the limit before Skaneateles claimed it, 28-26. Once that was done, the next two games provided less drama as the Lakers took the second 25-20 and the third in a 25-10 romp.
Julianna Augustine led the front line, the veteran posting 10 kills, three aces and two blocks. Joanna Dean (four kills, five digs) and Natale Roche (three kills) provided help to Augustine.
Meanwhile, Sidney Lawson had an impressive season debut, posting 15 assists, seven digs, two kills and three aces. Malorie Olin also managed a pair of kills.
Skaneateles welcomes another program with lots of winning tradition, LaFayette, this Wednesday before a big Friday-night showdown with Cazenovia, the first of two showdowns with that other band of Lakers, with the rematch on Oct. 18. Another big highlight will come Oct. 6 when Marcellus pays a visit.
