The close girls volleyball competition atop the OHSL Liberty division was reflected in matches Solvay and Westhill played Tuesday night.
Finding success, the Bearcats shook off a furious comeback attempt to beat Homer in five sets while the Warriors made its own rally and got to a fifth set, only to fall to Cazenovia.
Both matches followed the same pattern, with the eventual winner going up 2-0 in sets and the challenger evening it up before the team that led in the first place regrouped just in time.
Solvay, eager to avenge a three-set sweep by the Trojans on Sept. 16, won the first set from Homer 25-21. Then, in a long, tough second set, both sides had numerous set points, but the Bearcats finally pulled it out, 28-26, and looked for a sweep.
Homer didn’t oblige, calmly gaining 25-19 and 25-21 wins in the next two sets. The comeback took a toll, though, and Solvay found its rhythm again during the final set, getting most of the key points to pull out the match by a 25-17 margin.
Jackie Allen put together 22 kills and 23 digs, with Monica Watkins adding 15 kills. Jackie Gardner, along with her 28 assists, had nine kills and 13 digs, while Lauren Bandera piled up 22 assists, 22 digs, seven kills and four aces. Ksenyia Myalik managed 24 digs, eight kills and four aces.
Homer, in defeat, saw Julia Brazo put together 28 assists and seven digs, with Molly Ulrich managing 26 digs and Emily Cotrrell 21 digs, Cotrell joining Tanya Priadoun with eight kills apiece.
In Westhill’s case, it was looking to repeat its four-set win over Cazenovia on Sept. 16 when it ventured to Buckley Gym, but it was immediately apparent that the rematch would take a different course.
Cazenovia roared past the Warrior 25-16 and 25-19 in the first two sets. In fact, the match was nearly a sweep – but now it was Westhill’s turn to rally.
The Warriors pulled out the third set 25-23 and then, in the fourth set, erasing Cazenovia’s 17-12 lead with a 9-2 run. They went back and forth until it was 25-25, but two points from victory, the Lakers were denied again as the Warriors won back the serve and claimed the set 27-25.
Showing its own resolve, Cazenovia broke out of a 13-13 tie in the final set with a series of big serves from Jenna Britton in a decisive 7-1 run. Westhill never recovered and the Lakers, by the same 25-19 margin as in the second set, won the match.
On Westhill’s side, Melissa Newcomb had 20 kills and 10 digs, with Delaney Martin adding 13 kills and 18 digs. Mackenzie Martin recorded 32 assists and 15 digs, and Xiomara Rodriguez added 17 digs. Claire Diefendorf chipped in with 11 digs.
For Cazenovia, Britton put together 51 assists, to go with 17 digs and four aces. Willa Mihayli-Koch amassed 20 digs and put away 13 kills, a total only topped by Molly Carges, who had 21 kills and four blocks. Danielle Tedesco had 11 kills, six blocks and seven digs.
