An exciting and competitive homestretch for the Cazenovia girls volleyball team would culminate at Buckley Gym Thursday night, when it got a second opportunity to knock off undefeated Westhill – and did not waste it.

By prevailing in five sets, the Lakers (11-3) not only handed the 13-0 Warriors its first defeat of the season, it earned a share of the Onondaga High School League Liberty division regular-season title and gave itself immeasurable momentum for the post-season matches ahead.

A big home crowd watched as Cazenovia confidently rolled to a 25-17 first-set victory. Even when Westhill pulled even, 25-18, in the second set, the Lakers rebounded by dominating the third set and prevailing by a 25-14 margin.

Still, the Warriors weren’t done, earning its own 25-14 decision in the fourth set, but all that did was lead Cazenovia to its best volleyball of the night in the decisive fifth set, which produced yet another 25-14 score that went in the Lakers’ favor.

Between her 37 assists and seven digs, Lauren Lyons had plenty to do on the back line, helped by Lauren Burbidge, who got 17 digs, and Maleigha Ellithorpe, who earned eight digs as Morgan Hodinger earned 12 digs.

Incidentally, Hodinger was a standout on a well-balanced front line, too, earning 11 kills. Molly Carges earned 10 kills and six aces, while Danielle Tedesco provided power thanks to 17 kills and six blocks. Marin Rogers and Lindsey Lawson each got four blocks, combining for five kills.

In defeat, Westhill’s Mackenzie Martin had 29 assists, eight kills and 11 digs, while Montana Gedney earned 11 kills and 17 digs as Bridget Lougen finished with 10 kills and three digs.

This Cazenovia effort got launched last Monday night with an epochal five-set victory at Fayetteville-Manlius. When the Lakers won the first set 25-23, the Hornets pulled out an equally close second set 25-22. Cazenovia rolled through the third set 25-16 and got within two points of winning in the fourth, only to have F-M pull it out 27-25.

And that set up the longest third set of any Section III match this fall. Both sides wasted numerous match-play opportunities until the Lakers reclaimed the serve and finally closed it out by a 33-31 margin.

On F-M’s side, Erianna Madill earned a career-best 57 assists, with Paige Hulbert setting her own career mark by earning 27 kills. Jessica Burhle had 17 kills, while Saara Vahtola recorded 15 kills, plus four aces. Jillian Avery finished with nine digs.

After all that, the Lakers had to face another strong opponent, Marcellus, just 24 hours later, with Westhill looming as a third match in four days. As with F-M, the Lakers earned the crucial points at the end of a close first set to prevail 27-25 before claiming the other two sets by 25-18 and 25-20 margins for a sweep.

Danielle Tedesco and Molly Carges both produced 10 kills, with Tedesco adding eight blocks. Morgan Hodinger gained six kills as Lauren Lyons, with 12 assists, and Maleigha Ellithorpe, with 11 assists, split the important back-line duties. Sarah Dickinson and Lauren Burbidge had four digs apiece.