Though the numbers of the Cazenovia girls volleyball team’s 25-6, 25-9, 25-16 victory over Bishop Ludden at Buckley Gym Wednesday night were important, they didn’t even come close to telling the whole narrative.
This one-sided match, when secured, gave head coach Brian Ellithorpe his 300th career high school victory, most of them with the Lakers.
Ellithorpe has won 260 matches at Cazenovia, with the other 40 coming at Morrisville-Eaton, where he has coached in the winter season once the Lakers moved to a fall schedule three years ago.
This year, Cazenovia is enjoying another strong campaign, entering the Ludden match with an 8-2 record and securing easy wins in each of the first two sets.
Late in the match, Ellithorpe got an extra treat when both of his daughters, Maddy and Maleigha, appeared on the court at the same time, a first. Maleigha picked up four aces and added three kills, while Maddy also managed three aces.
As to the rest of the Lakers, Willa Mihalyi-Koch picked up seven kills, while Dominique Lyons had five assists, three aces and two kills. Madison Gabor also had three aces as Clarese Zirbel and Molly Carges joined Maleigha Ellithorpe with three-assist efforts.
The 301st win quickly followed on Thursday night, when Cazenovia beat Syracuse’s Institute of Technology Central, winning each of the first two sets 25-11 and the third set 25-10.
Mihayli-Koch had another strong outing, as she earned six kills and five aces, plus three digs. Amara Kattrein added four kills as Ashley Marti and Maddy Ellithorpe each gained four aces. Zirbel and Dana Kiselica had three aces apiece as Gabor recorded four digs.
Having improved to 10-2 and passed that major milestone, Cazenovia has another big home match next Wednesday, against West Genesee, just after it plays Fowler on Tuesday night.
