Just two matches remained in the regular season for the Skaneateles girls volleyball team, and at the very least, securing a winning record was on the Lakers’ minds.
To make sure of that, Skaneateles had to prevail over LaFayette last Thursday night, a special occasion since it the last regular-season match for six seniors on the roster – Allie Baldwin, Margaret Canty, Bella Falcone, Shannon Foehl, Bailey Herr and Kelsey Kraetz.
Combine all of those factors, and it could have gone either way. Fortunately for Skaneateles, those emotions led to an inspired performance, and the Lancers had no chance to stop it as the Lakers won in a three-set sweep and improved its mark to 10-7 overall.
A 6-1 start in the opening set forced LaFayette to use a time-out, But it was no use, since Skaneateles extended that margin to 17-8 and eventually won the set 25-17.
Each of the next two sets followed that same pattern – a quick lead for the Lakers, followed by desperate attempts by LaFayette to stop the momentum that proved futile. By similar margins of 25-16 and 25-17, Skaneateles finished off the sweep.
Kraetz, with her five aces, set the night’s tone, adding six kills, two blocks and two digs. Herr finished with five kills, while Falcone and Emily Baldwin had four kills apiece, Falcone also managing three blocks, two aces and four digs.
On the Lakers’ back line, Canty put together 12 assists, eight digs, three kills and two aces, helped by Cassidy Pitman, with six assists and three digs. Emma Goodell would lead the defense, getting 13 digs as Erica Beatson had four digs. Karah Blair, Mia Grasso and Olivia Nye each got three digs.
For LaFayette, Rhiannon Abrams had 20 assists and 10 digs, her passes often going to Logan Booth, who had nine kills and 15 digs, and Sophia Bowless, who augmented her eight kills by notching 13 digs.
Two nights earlier, the Lakers rolled to a sweep of Jordan-Elbridge, taking little time to roll past the Eagles 25-10 and 25-11 in the first two sets before an early deficit in the third set caused a small concern – but Skaneateles still won it, 25-15, and closed out the match.
Pitman earned 10 assists and five digs, plus two aces. Canty added five assists, plus a team-high four aces. Kraetz contributed seven kills, with Herr and Jessica Patalino earning four kills apiece. Herr, Grasso and Falcone contributed three aces apiece.
