In order for the Cazenovia girls volleyball team to reach the state final four in Glens Falls, it would have to beat Section V champion Honeoye Falls-Lima in Saturday’s Class B regional final at LeRoy High School.
The Lakers’ effort was tremendous – but it could not quite pull off a victory, falling in four sets to the Cougars.
Throughout the opening set, Cazenovia chased HF-L, nearly erasing a 15-9 deficit as it pulled within one, 16-15, but not quite able to catch up as it dropped that set 25-21.
For a while, the second set was following the same pattern, but in this instance a 6-1 run in the middle of the set put the Lakers in front of the Cougars, 17-15, and points were exchanged from there until, by a 25-22 margin, Cazenovia squared the match at a set apiece.
The pivotal third set saw the Lakers again trail and again use a 6-1 run to catch up to erase an 18-13 deficit. They kept trading points until, at 22-22, HF-L regained the serve and kept it the rest of the way to claim its own 25-22 win and go back in front.
Tired of playing from behind, Cazenovia did grab an 11-8 lead in the fourth set, only to get victimized by the Cougars’ own 6-1 run. Rebounding, the Lakers were even, 20-20, late in the set, but with one more spurt HF-L closed it out in yet another 25-22 decision.
Lauren Lyons finished with 33 assists, often passing it to Molly Carges, who got 17 kills to go with nine digs, four aces and three blocks.
Danielle Tedesco got 10 kills and two blocks as Morgan Hodinger earned 15 digs, four aces and three kills. Lauren Burbidge matched Hodinger’s total of 15 digs as Lyons got six digs. Lindsey Lawson and Mairin Rogers both got three kills, Lawson adding three blocks.
So a 15-3 season ended for the Lakers, one that would include a sectional title and coach Brian Ellithorpe’s 300th win. Having six seniors, including Tedesco, Lyons, Carges, Rogers, Sarah Dickinson and Maleigha Ellithorpe graduate will not be easy, even if the likes of Hodinger, Lawson and Burbidge return next fall.
