For a long while last Monday night, the Chittenango girls volleyball team thought it was on the way to a defining victory against Tully.
But the reigning Section III Class C champion Black Knights once again proved too much to handle, earning all of the crucial points to turn things in its favor and eventually prevail in four sets over the Bears.
When Tully rolled through the opening set 25-11, Chittenango did not get too rattled. Instead, the Bears got everything to work in the second set and, by a 25-16 margin, evened up the match at one set apiece.
Things got close in the third set, and the Bears were two points from moving in front – but at 24-24, Tully regained the serve and closed out the set, 26-24, and while Chittenango fought hard in the fourth set, the Black Knights, by a 25-21 margin, ended it.
On the back line, Tiffany Scofield led the Bears with 17 assists and 13 digs, while Shelby Maring had 11 assists. Megan Mayer nearly recorded a triple-double with 10 kills, nine aces and 14 digs as Kyla Cutrie gained 12 kills and five blocks. Mya Streiff earned 21 digs as Alyssa Bates gained eight digs and five kills.
For the most part, Tully leaned on two players, with Alexi Hamilton putting away 28 kills, her passes coming from Grace Chafee, who had 38 assists as Maureen Murphy finished with seven kills.
Playing so well against Tully proved a confidence-booster for Chittenango, for when it returned to action Thursday night against Onondaga, it swept the Tigers, claiming a pair of 25-21 sets in between a 25-11 romp in the second set.
Cutrie and Bates both finished with nine kills, Bates adding 10 digs as Mayer also earned 10 digs to go with her eight kills. Streiff contributed seven digs as Scofield, with 10 assists, and Shelby Maring, with seven assists and four digs, split duties.
Following a tournament appearance Saturday at South Lewis, Chittenango is home again Tuesday night to face Faith Heritage before venturing to Pulaski two nights later.
