Rough as September sometimes was for the Cazenovia girls volleyball team, it could not have concluded better.
The Lakers got a particularly sweet piece of payback Wednesday night when it went to Solvay and, staging two different comebacks, knocked off the undefeated Bearcats in five sets.
Solvay had roared out to a 7-0 start this fall, and one of its signature moments was a three-set sweep of Cazenovia at Buckley Gym on Sept. 12.
Exactly two weeks later, they played again in Solvay, and when a close first set went 25-23 in the Bearcats’ favor, the Lakers may have felt some dread, but if so, that didn’t last.
An effective second set saw Cazenovia claim it 25-18 to pull even. Then the pattern repeated itself, Solvay surviving a close third set to take it 25-22, but the Lakers answering with a comfortable fourth-set win, this one 25-19.
So it all rode on the fifth set where, anchored by Lindsey Lawson’s power and Josie Avery’s passing ability, Cazenovia held off all of the Bearcats’ charges to take the match 25-20.
Lawson finished with 24 kills and 12 digs, adding four blocks and three aces, while Avery often passed to Lawson with her 25 assists to go with 14 digs.
Solvay lost despite Allie Posnick’s 30 digs, 28 assists, eight kills and six aces. Myah Platler had 17 kills and seven digs for the Bearcats, with Jordan Bamba getting 21 digs as Izzy Lambert gained six kills and Nicole Backus earned five kills.
Now the Lakers, back above the .500 mark (5-4 overall), have a chance to build some momentum, favored next week in home matches Tuesday against Phoenix and Thursday against Institute of Technology Central.
