In perhaps the most closely-fought match of the young season, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys volleyball team battled its way past Fayetteville-Manlius in Wednesday night’s five-set epic, one day before the girls Northstars went to the wire to edge Oswego.
Each of the sets was close. The Northstars lost the opener, 25-23, but claimed the second set 25-22 and the third game 25-21. Two points from victory, CNS dropped the fourth set 26-24, but did just enough in the final game to beat the Hornets in another 25-21 decision.
Geoff Holmes led a deep front line with 16 kills, eight aces and seven digs. Billy Werksman had 12 kills, four aces and three digs, while Jordan Laris put up 11 kills.
Alex Brodhead (eight kills), Joel Brousseau (seven kills) and Andrew Boyck (five kills) offered further help in front of setter Justin Collins, who amassed 46 assists to go with seven kills. Kevin Sager and Jason Zipprich led F-M with 13 kills apiece.
So it only figured that the CNS girls volleyball team would have its own drama on Thursday night, but got through Oswego in five sets to improve its early-season mark to 5-0.
They went back and forth, CNS claiming the first and third sets by equal 25-21 margins, but losing to the Buccaneers 25-14 in the second and 25-19 in the fourth. The final set proved close and tense, but the Northstars pulled it out 26-24.
Up front, Adrianna Patzer backed up her five kills with nine blocks, while Carly Rebecchi (four kills, four aces) and Cara Gannett (four blocks) helped out. Emily Becker added 11 digs. Lindsey Silfer and Amy VanHoven both had 11 assists, with Silfer adding six kills and VanHoven picking up four kills and three blocks.
Cicero-North Syracuse’s girls team, already 3-0 on the season, made it four in a row last Tuesday when it went to Rome Free Academy and swept the Black Knights 25-5, 25-9, 25-13.
Elizabeth Miles had five kills, with Becker serving up five aces. VanHoven (eight assists) and Silfer (five assists) worked on the back line, with Rebecchi picking up four aces and three kills. Jenna Tartaro contributed three aces.
Meanwhile, Liverpool flattened Henninger 25-5, 25-20, 25-3 in last Tuesday night’s match. Dorothy Rosekrans earned five kills, with Stephanie Mumpton and Alexis Hasper putting up three kills apiece. Meghan Stonebarger had 11 assists and Jenna Bush added four assists.
And the Warriors beat Central Square Thursday, splitting the first two sets with the Red Hawks before pulling out the last two sets in a 25-19, 20-25, 25-21, 25-21 decision.
Rosekrans gained 14 kills, with Mumpton and Kelly Fitzpatrick both earning four kills. Alexis Hasper had four blocks and Rachel Ruggaber added 11 digs. Stonebarger improved to 24 assists.
