With the Section III Class C championship secured, the Cazenovia girls volleyball team would now face the two-tiered regional playoffs, where wins in both levels would mean a trip to Glens Falls for the state championship tournament next weekend.

One part of it would prove manageable, as the Lakers defeated Section V champion Byron-Bergen in three sets in last Wednesday night’s regional semifinal at Jamesville-DeWitt.

This was a match where what took place in the opening set would prove pivotal. Cazenovia and Byron-Bergen would trade points throughout that set, the Lakers unable to maintain a 14-12 edge as the Bees rallied and took a 19-17 lead.

Then, down a point, 21-20, Cazenovia turned to Jenna Britton, whose back-to-back aces created a lead the Lakers would not relinquish as it closed out the set 25-22.

Pumped up by that win, Cazenovia went to the second set and quickly grabbed a 5-1 lead. Byron-Bergen would spend the rest of the set in catch-up mode, getting plenty of points, but none of them in a row, the Lakers moving on to take that set 25-19.

Gradually, the depth on Cazenovia’s roster, and the momentum gained from that opening set, was too much for the Bees to handle, as in the third set the Lakers closed it out with a 25-13 romp.

Whatever was needed, Britton usually provided it, from 20 assists to eight aces to six digs, which freed things up for her teammates.

Molly Carges had a team-high seven kills, while Willa Mihayli-Koch managed four kills, two blocks and four digs. Rebeckah Swart earned six digs and three kills. Taylor Eldred and Paige Nardella got three digs apiece, with Eldred adding two aces and two kills. Ashley Marti and Katie Davis each finished with two digs.

That leads to the immense challenge of Saturday’s regional final, a rematch with long-time Section VI powerhouse Eden, who beat the Lakers a year ago en route to yet another state championship.