The Baldwinsville boys volleyball team wants to take one more step after falling to Cicero-North Syracuse in last year’s Section III Division I final.
In its opening match of the season last Wednesday night, the Bees visited Liverpool. Each of the sets proved close and competitive, but B’ville won them, taking the opener 25-21, and then winning the next two sets by those exact same scores.
The Bees’ depth proved helpful, as did its versatility around setter David Abraham, who had 24 assists. Defensively, David Cerqua led the way, earning seven digs.
Up front, Nate Johns, with six kills, led a well-balanced effort. Riley Shannon and Max Thurston both had five kills, with Shanon adding three digs and Ryan Carson earning four kills. Liverpool lost despite 17 kills from Frank Constantine.
Two nights later, the Bees had its home opener against Fayetteville-Manlius, and this didn’t end in straight sets. Instead, it went the full limit as B’ville came from behind, gave up a lead, and finally survived to top the Hornets in five sets.
After a 25-21 loss in the opening set, the Bees nearly dropped the second set, too, but when it pulled that out 25-23, the momentum carried over into a 25-21 victory in the third set.
F-M did prolong it by winning the fourth set 25-18, but B’ville closed strong, winning the final set by a big 25-12 margin as Tyler Aiello, with 13 kills, and Shanon, with 12 kills, paced the front line.
Carson added seven kills and Thurston five kills in front of Abraham, who put together 35 assists and four aces, and Cerqua, who got 11 digs and four aces. F-M’s Christopher Perry amassed 43 assists, his passes often going to Cade Collum, who had 23 kills, and Jacob Rhea, who earned 10 kills.
As the Bees face F-M again this week after confronting Jamesville-DeWitt and before a Saturday tournament in Victor, the B’ville girls side would face West Genesee on Tuesday and then host its Fall Fling Tournament on Saturday.
