Cazenovia’s girls volleyball team, up and down throughout the month of September, stared at another big test when it had back-to-back weekend matches against traditional powers.
It started Friday night, when the Lakers took on Marcellus, with whom it had enjoyed some memorable showdowns in the past. Here, the Lakers proved tough, but lost in four sets to the Mustangs.
In the opening set, Cazenovia fell, 25-18, but it briefly posed a threat to Marcellus when it claimed the second set 25-20 to even the match up.
However, that only seemed to make Marcellus refocus, and it led to a 25-8 Mustang romp in the third set, followed by a 25-11 decision in the fourth set that ended things.
Through it all, Amber Robinson picked up 16 assists and 14 digs. Dominique Lyons, with 13 digs, and Samantha Prossner, with 10 digs, also played strong defense as Kaitlyn Puukila (five kills) and Willa Mihayli-Koch (four kills) led the front line. Amara Kattrein added eight digs.
For the victorious Mustangs, Allie Massara (27 digs) and Brittney Valentine (25 digs) kept points alive for Jessica Cost, who had 16 assists, and Devan Landers, who led with nine kills.
What followed, on Saturday, was a rematch against LaFayette, the same team it lost to in five sets on Sept. 20, just nine days earlier.
But the rematch was lopsided in the Lakers’ favor as it swept the Lancers 25-20 in the first set and 25-17 in the second and third sets, as Robinson showed even more versatility, earning 15 assists, six kills, nine digs and three blocks.
Madison Gabor backed up her five kills with 13 digs, with Lyons adding 12 digs. Prossner matched Robinson’s total of six kills as Kattrein picked up three kills and three blocks.
Cazenovia had swept past Fowler 25-10, 25-15, 25-16 in last Tuesday night’s match. Lyons had seven assists and three aces to support Robinson, who got six assists, three kills and two blocks. Prossner had a team-best four aces as Mihayli-Koch got five kills. Gabor and Puukila matched Robinson’s total of three kills.
With this busy stretch over, the Lakers could look ahead to a respite in the first week of October until a Thursday-night trip to Bishop Ludden.
