So much of the good work the Chittenango girls volleyball team had done during its 6-0 start would hinge on whether it could push past another undefeated team, Tully, when the two sides squared off last Thursday night on the Bears’ home court.
Successful as Chittenango had proved in those six straight wins, it never got close against the Black Knights, who won the opening set 25-9 and did not let up one bit the rest of the way, claiming the second set 25-13 and the third set 25-8 to complete the sweep.
Allie Cerio led the hosts with five assists and five digs, while Hannah Bailey had two kills and six digs. Tyla Cutrie only managed two kills and two blocks as Ashley Young earned a team-best seven digs and Mya Streiff also had five digs.
Tully, by contrast, had plenty of standouts. Lexi Hamilton led the Black Knights’ front line, earning 13 kills, five aces and five blocks, while Maureen Murphy got nine kills and four aces, and Maureen Whitney produced six kills. Grace Chaffee fed all of them with 28 assists, adding four aces.
The match against Tully was Chittenango’s third in four nights. To start that stretch, the Bears visited Cortland last Monday and, for the fourth consecutive match, prevailed without dropping a set, putting together a 25-12, 25-16, 25-23 sweep over the Purple Tigers.
Only the third set proved close as Hannah Bailey, Allie Cerio and Tiffany Scofield each got six assists, with Bailey adding six digs. Tyla Cutrie continued to anchor the front line thanks to her 10 kills as Emily Wood produced six aces and four digs and Ashley Young got 12 digs. Megan Mayer earned four kills and Allison Choi added three kills.
A night later, at Cato-Meridian, the Bears handled the Blue Devils, never seriously threatened as, in three sets, it prevailed 25-12, 25-15, 25-14.
Cerio had nine assists, plus five aces, with Scofield adding eight assists and two aces. Cutrie had seven kills and two aces as Bailey put together four kills, four assists and three aces. Choi earned five kills and Young produced five digs as Wood had three aces. Mayers and Mackenzie Stevens picked up three kills apiece.
Following the loss to Tully, the Bears were able to rest for a week before hosting Altmar-Parish-Williamstown this Thursday, a prelude to a Dec. 22 visit to Pulaski and the ensuing holiday break.