In its most thrilling match of the season, the Fayetteville-Manlius girls volleyball team pushed itself beyond the wire last Tuesday night, but with two different comebacks managed to record a five-set victory over the West Genesee Wildcats.
Going into the match, F-M had a 10-5 record. More importantly, it carried the memory of a tight five-set loss to this same WG squad in Camillus back on Sept. 22, and wanted to get even.
Twice in the rematch, the Hornets fell behind. WG won the first set by a lopsided 25-16 margin, and nearly won the second set, too, before the Hornets, in an omen of things to come, pulled it out 25-23.
The third set proved just as close. But even though WG pulled it out, 26-24, the Hornets didn’t panic, turning around to roar to a 25-18 win in the fourth set.
That set up a final-set epic. The two sides traded rallies and runs, and each of them had match points until, at 25-25, the Hornets got the serve and earned match point to win it, 27-25.
Through the long match, Markayla Madill averaged nearly 10 assists per set, finishing with 49 assists, one of highest totals of her career. Marissa Madill added nine digs.
On F-M’s front line, Lily Palmer had 19 kills, adding three aces, while Meg Kincaid put away 16 kills. Savannah Pidkaminy did a bit of everything with nine kills, three assists, three blocks and three digs. Anna-Lise Stube and Allison Lubrino each had three kills as Lubrino added four assists. Alyxis Perez picked up eight digs.
Tired from the battle with West Genesee, the Hornets (11-6) lost, 25-19, 25-17, 25-15 to Liverpool on Thursday night. Palmer still had 11 kills and seven digs, with Fuller adding seven kills and Kincaid five kills, while Markayla Madill had 24 assists and Marissa Madill 11 digs.
Jamesville-DeWitt started its week with a three-set defeat to Marcellus last Tuesday night, getting closer in each ensuing set, but still falling 25-17, 25-20, 25-23.
Melissa Murphy still managed 10 kills, with Hailey Harrigan stepping up to earn nine kills. Joanna Butler and Alex Frank each had six kills in front of Allison Lowery, who picked up 30 assists and 11 digs. Meghan Byrnes had a team-best 17 digs and Frank added nine digs.
The Red Rams (9-5) salvaged a split from the week on Thursday by sweeping Phoenix on Thursday night, winning 25-19 in the first set and maintaining that consistency through a pair of 25-19 sets that followed.
Lowery finished with 30 assists and 11 digs, her passes often going to Murphy, who earned 13 kills, four aces and eight digs. Essance Britt got eight kills as Frank, Butler and Maddison Newman earned five kills apiece and Newman added 10 digs, with Byrnes saving points through her 14 digs.
Bishop Grimes started its last week of the regular season by taking on Mexico last Monday night and dropping a 25-22, 25-23, 25-18 decision to the Tigers.
Alivia Spaulding finished with six kills and four aces, with Samantha Houck earning five aces. Emily Collins and Meghan Vonden Steinen each earned three kills in front of Veronica Ansbrow, who mixed in six assists, four digs, three aces and two kills. Sarah Schultz produced nine assists and Jenaye DeSimone finished with four digs.
Then, facing Bishop Ludden Wednesday night, the Cobras rebounded with a four-set victory. Grimes, who improved its record to 10-9, came from behind after losing the first set 25-23 by pulling out the second set 26-24 and, over the next two sets, winning by 25-16 and 25-17 margins.
Ansbrow was particularly special on this night, mixing in 12 assists, nine aces, eight kills and five digs. Spaulding managed 10 kills, with Vonden Steinen getting six digs. Collins and Schultz each produced three aces, with Collins adding three kills.
