While a Section III Class B fall championship was quite satisfying, the Cazenovia girls volleyball team did not want to stop there.
With two victories in this week’s regional round, the Lakers would earn a berth in next weekend’s state championships at Glens Falls Civic Center, and things could not have started better.
The regional opener pitted Cazenovia against Section VI champion Alden Wednesday night at Chittnango High School, and the Lakers, with all the advantages possible, jumped on the Bulldogs and never let up until it had finished off a three-set sweep.
By moving up to Class B, Cazenovia didn’t have to worry about Eden, the Section VI power who has won seven consecutive state titles. Eden remained in Class C this fall.
Instead, the Lakers were facing Alden. Not only was Cazenovia playing right down the road from its campus at Chittenango, it was facing a Bulldogs squad making a long bus trip and still trying to recover from a five-set win over East Aurora in the Section VI final two nights earlier.
Sensing a chance to gain quick control, the Lakers tore to a 6-0 lead in the first set off Sarah Dickinson’s serves, three of which were aces. While Alden did get on the board, it couldn’t keep Cazenovia from adding to its margin and prevailing 25-11 in the set.
Things weren’t as smooth at the start of the second set, but a 7-0 spurt soon put the Lakers well out in front again and it won that set 25-12. This steady effort continued into the third set, where again the Lakers jumped out in front of the Bulldogs and again won by a big margin, 25-13, to claim the match.
Between Dickinson’s five aces and Morgan Hodinger’s six aces, the tone was set at the service line. Up front, Danielle Tedesco had 11 kills and four blocks, while Molly Carges added six kills, plus two aces and three digs. Lauren Lyons earned 22 assists. Hodnger got five digs and Lauren Burbidge contributed three digs.
It proved to be a special day for Cazenovia volleyball beyond its success on the court. Tedesco and Carges both signed college letters of intent a few hours before the Alden match, Tedesco headed for the University at Albany and Carges going to Niagara University.
Now, in order to get to Glens Falls, Cazenovia will need to beat Section V champion Honeoye Falls-Lima in Saturday’s regional final at 5 p.m. at LeRoy High School.
