For more than a quarter-century, Mary Jo Cerqua has worked 12 months a year transforming the Baldwinsville girls volleyball program into a dynastic force that has long sat atop the Section III Class AA and CNY Counties League ranks.
And with all the championships attained, it hasn’t taken too long for Cerqua to reach a milestone few coaches ever reach.
When the Bees defeated West Genesee in three sets Tuesday night in Camillus, it gave Cerqua her 500th career victory in her 28th season, and she did it with family and friends on hand, as well as several former B’ville players responsible for those wins and titles in attendance.
“With all the alumni here supporting this tradition, it’s a very special moment,” said Cerqua. “I was trying not to cry, but it was overwhelming.”
And overwhelming is a good term when it comes to what Cerqua has accomplished at B’ville, beyond the 500 wins. There’s a pair of state championships, in 2010 and 2013, and a run of 18 sectional and 14 regional titles. Her win percentage is .933 with just 38 losses in those 28 seasons.
Cerqua said the key to building this dynasty is 12 months a year of work on volleyball, and working with players from sixth grade onward so that they are ready when they reach the varsity level.
Every other local program has tried, with little success, to stop B’ville. West Genesee is the only other program with a sectional championship in the last decade, so it only figured that, to get win no. 500, the Wildcats stood in the way.
Having swept WG on Sept. 13 at home, the Bees patiently endured an exchange of points in the opening set before going on a 14-3 run with its usual blend of power, defense and strong serves to prevail 25-15.
Much the same thing was going on in the second set, an early exchange and a B’ville breakout, until the Wildcats, trailing 20-11, stormed back and took a 24-23 lead to earn a set point. But WG couldn’t clinch it, and didn’t do so again at 26-25 when a serve flew long, and the Bees pulled it out 28-26.
“They stayed calm in a pressure situation,” said Cerqua.
Trailing 4-1 in the third set, B’ville scored 24 of the next 28 points to end the match. As it wound down, B’ville fans pulled out red-and-white “500” signs that came out when the match ended, along with flowers from each current player.
Maddie Stone led B’ville with 21 assists, six kills and seven digs. Michelle Voyer notched 12 kills, six digs and three aces, while Kiannah Titus got three aces, three kills, four blocks, three assists and eight digs. Katie Welcher got five kills as Summer McClingtic (nine digs), Skyler Parrow-Strong (five digs) and Rachel Foertch (four digs) contributed on the defensive side.
Even with all that she’s accomplished with the B’ville program, Cerqua said she is far from done.
“I don’t know if I can ever stop coaching,” she said.
