Much more happened in local high school girls volleyball after Marcellus gaining its enormous win against Skaneateles in a three-set sweep on Oct. 22.
It started with the Mustangs themselves, who two nights after beating Skaneateles needed five sets to fight past the other Laker team from Cazenovia at Buckley Gym.
The Mustangs lost the opener 25-16, and also dropped a close third set 27-25. Both times, Marcellus rebounded, winning the second set 25-15 and the fourth set 25-19, and then holding off Cazenovia 25-20 in the final set.
Devon Landers had 17 kills, while Allie Massara amassed 22 digs and 13 kills. Brittney Valentine also had 22 digs as, on the back line, Jessica Cost amassed 19 assists, 14 digs, three aces and three kills, with Anna Smith contributing 12 assists. Hannah O’Brien managed four kills and six digs.
Then the Mustangs played Bishop Ludden on Thursday night, finally getting to settle down in a 25-1, 25-13, 25-10 sweep that included Hannah Brady getting four aces and five kills, with Grace Keegan also earning four aces. Kristin Field had five aces and five kills.
To cap off this big week, Marcellus went to Phoenix on Saturdy and won the OHSL Liberty American division tournament. The Mustangs went 15-0, not dropping a set through the entire round-robin format.
While all this was going on, the other prime Class B contender, Westhill, maintained its own good form last Tuesday, steadily putting together a 25-18, 25-19, 25-19 sweep over Mexico.
Abby Bornstein showed her all-around skills with 10 kills and 13 digs. So did Annaleigh Gedney, who backed up her 22 assists with 11 digs and four kills.
Elsewhere, Delaney Martin and Bella Sterley both finished with six kills, while Maggie Liberati delivered four aces and Katie McGraw managed nine digs. Rachel Zoanetti had three kills and five digs as Abbey Townley picked up two kills and two aces.
This was just a prelude, though, to Thursday’s long battle with Cazenovia.
After dropping the first set 25-23, Westhill won the next two sets by comfortable 25-15 and 25-16 margins. The Lakers prolonged the match by claiming the fourth set in another 25-23 decision, but the Warriors pulled away in the final set and claimed it 25-17.
The long match allowed Gedney to pile up 44 assists, plus 10 kills and 12 digs for a triple-double. McGraw scrambled for 33 digs, while Bornstein amassed 15 kills and 18 digs. Martin gained 12 kills as Sterly picked up 10 kills. Lauren Eaton added 10 digs as Townley and Zoanetti both got five kills and combined for 10 digs.
West Genesee, headed for the Section III Class AA playoffs, clinched a winning record in last Monday’s match at Henninger, sweeping the Black Knights 25-12, 25-4, 25-13.
Serves alone accounted for more than a set’s worth of points. Jessie Allen put together 11 aces, while Katie McIntyre had eight aces and Kara Sweeney finished with six aces to go with 10 assists and three digs.
For her part, Allen also got six kills, two blocks and two digs. Brianna Richardson had a team-best seven kills, while Elle Swete had five assists and six digs. Jessica Hillery, Emily Scaia and Grace Osterdale each gained three kills as Christina Holzhauer finished with seven digs.
WG has the no. 5 seed in Class AA, which meant that it would meet no. 4 seed Liverpool in the opening round, the winner to face undefeated Baldwinsville in the semifinals.
Westhill owns the no. 2 seed in Class B and Marcellus holds the no. 3 seed. They could meet in the semifinals Friday if the Mustangs get past its opening-round match against Jamesville-DeWitt.
