All of the regular-season tests were behind the Skaneateles girls volleyball team, and the only challenge left was to see how far it could go during the Section III Class B playoffs.
The Lakers were slotted into the no. 4 seed, which meant it got to stay home for Friday night’s sectional quarterfinal against no. 5 seed Solvay, a difficult opponent because it had required five sets to beat the Bearcats back on Oct. 4.
Here, things started bad, with defeats in the first two sets before Skaneateles rallied to pull even and, in the final set, got within two points of a remarkable comeback victory before Solvay snatched it from them and ended the Lakers’ season.
Each of the first two sets followed the same pattern. Skaneateles held narrow leads – 19-18 in the first, 22-21 in the second – and could not hold on to either of them, Solvay claiming the opener 25-22 and pulling out the second set 25-23.
Home fans feared a sweep when the Lakers surrendered a 21-15 edge in the third set, but though the Bearcats tied it, Skaneateles recovered long enough to win that set 25-23 to prolong the match to a fourth set, where no such danger was found and, by a 25-21 margin, it went to a fifth set.
Still with the momentum, the Lakers led 13-10 as they switched ends, only to have Jessica Patalino’s injury cause a change in the rotation. Solvay was up 20-19 when Skaneateles had a chance to serve, only to make a rotation mistake that cost a point.
Instead of tying it, 20-20, it was now 21-19, and despite Skaneateles coming back once more to pull even, 23-23, Solvay won back the serve and, with a single match point, converted it to claim the match 25-23.
Patalino, despite her injury, still produced nine kills and four blocks to lead the Lakers’ front line. Mia Grasso and Aidan Bennett each had eight kills, with Emily Baldwin contributing seven kills and a team-best four aces.
Working on the back line, Emma Goodell gave the Lakers 28 digs, while Cassidy Pitman finished with 27 assists and three aces. Jenna Moore had three assists and two aces. Sarah Delais and Karah Blair got three digs apiece as Delasin tacked on two aces and two assists.
On Solvay’s side, Mackenzie McCarthy had 29 assists and 14 digs, with Allie Posnick registering 20 assists and 20 digs. Taylor Preble chimed in with 29 digs, adding five assists and two aces.
Also for the Bearcats, Bella Petralito put up a team-best 15 kills, plus 22 digs, as Brielle Bagozzi earned 27 digs to go with 11 kills. Lauren Nichols added 10 kills as Mikayla Knight gained nine kills and Anna Rolince seven kills to go with nine digs. Ashley Bosco had five kills and Phebe Guadagnolo earned five aces.
Before all this, the Lakers closed out the regular season at Phoenix and dominated the match from start to finish, eventually earning a 25-15, 25-9, 25-14 sweep over the Firebirds.
Goodell put away five aces, to go with her stellar defense that included 18 digs. Pitman earned 13 assists, adding two aces and two digs. Patalino worked at the net to earn seven kills and three blocks.
Baldwin mixed in five kills, three digs, two aces and two assists as Aidan Bennett contributed four kills. Grasso and Rachel Smith had three kills apiece. Erica Beatson (five digs) and Elizabeth Williams (four digs) helped Goodell on the defensive front.
The loss to Solvay left Skaneateles with a final mark of 10-7 in Dan Mulroy’s first season as head coach. Just four seniors depart – Goodell, Baldwin, Beatson and Olivia Nye – meaning that Patalino, Pitman, Grasso, Bennett, Blair, Delasin, Moore, Smith, Williams and Jessica Casper could all return in 2017.
