Is it too early in the season to consider the Skaneateles girls volleyball team’s come-from-behind, five-set victory over Marcellus on Sept. 1 a turning point?
Whatever confidence the Lakers had going into that match only had to increase in the wake of the way it fought back after the Mustangs dropped them 25-15 in the first set and then pulled out the second set 27-25.
Instead of getting discouraged by the deficit, Skaneateles put together a solid 25-17 victory in the third set. Then, in both the fourth and fifth sets, the Lakers traded points, got into trouble and fought out of it to win each of those sets by the same 25-23 margin.
Karah Blair, with 16 digs, and Cassidy Pitman, with 10 assists, consistently made plays on the back line, while Jessica Patalino did a bit of everything, ranging from six kills and five aces to three blocks and four digs.
Sarah Delasin and Rachel Smith both got eight digs, with Elizabeth Williams adding six digs. Maeve Canty had five kills as Jenna Moore earned four kills and three assists. Aidan Bennett and Lily Delasin had three kills apiece.
On the Mustangs’ side, Olivia Quick managed 30 assists while, up front, Julia Piorkowski had 13 kills and 10 digs. Sydney French got 12 kills, four aces and four digs as Meghan O’Brien added nine kills. Rachel Randall earned 16 digs. Grace Hoey had four kills and four digs.
Skaneateles did not play again until last Wednesday night, at Hannibal, but that turned into a five-set battle, too, and again the Lakers came out on top, though the road to that win was a bit different than it was with Marcellus.
Here, each of the first two sets went to Skaneateles, by 25-17 and 25-20 margins. Now it was Hannibal making the comeback, winning another 25-20 decision in the third set and, two points from defeat, pulling out a 27-25 decision in the fourth.
With a bit more energy, though, the Lakers dominated the fifth set 25-8 as Delasin led with 15 assists, seven aces, five kills and eight digs. Blair also had seven aces, adding 12 digs and four kills, while Patalino had five aces and six kills.
Aidan Bennett notched six kills, with Moore and Mia Grasso both getting five kills. Canty and Jessica Casper each had three kills as Pitman earned 19 assists, three aces and nine digs. Smith had six digs as Hannibal featured Katie Pitcher (14 kills, 14 digs) and Abigail Kyle, who had 15 assists, seven digs and five kills.
Back home on Friday night, Skaneateles faced LaFayette and, for once, didn’t need to go beyond a third set. The Lakers handled the Lancers 25-13 in the first set and then nearly got caught in the second set, but pulled it out 27-25 before claiming the third set 25-20.
Pitman picked up 11 assists, five aces and four digs, helped on the back line by Delasin, who mixed in six assists, three aces and three digs. Blair earned eight digs as Patalino picked up eight kills and Bennett had five kills, with Grasso contributing four kills. Moore had three kills, three assists and three digs.
All of this improved the Lakers’ record to 4-0, and it would be favored again Tuesday at Institute of Technology Central before hosting Solvay Thursday night. An early-season showdown with Cazenovia at home on Sept. 19 looms.
