A 9-0 run through September that included some tournament titles had the Cicero-North Syracuse boys volleyball team perched in its usual position atop the Central New York high school ranks.
Or at least that was the case before Tuesday’s match at Oswego, where the Northstars could not get any crucial points in the late going and lost in four sets to the Buccaneers.
With its own 8-1 record, Oswego had only lost to Baldwinsville this season, and in each of the first two sets against C-NS, the Bucs traded points and, when it counted, won them to claim those sets by 25-23 margins.
Though the Northstars prolonged the match by claiming the third set 25-19, in the fourth set the same circumstance as the first two sets presented itself – and with the exact same result, Oswego winning it 25-23 to claim the match.
Trent Caviness had 11 kills and 23 assists for C-NS as Brandon Millias also got 23 assists. Jake Den Bleyker put away 13 kills, with Josh Pickard getting eight kills. Jon Hendry had six kills as Kevin Felasco and Carter Wisely got five kills apiece.
Oswego counted on a deep front line to benefit from Nate Devinny’s 36 assists and Sam Allen’s 12 digs. Mike Douglas got 13 kills for the Bucs, helped by Noah Davis, Cole Pratt (eight kills apiece) and Riley Mahoney (seven kills).
Two nights later, C-NS took on Liverpool and, again, had full control of this rivalry, sweeping the Warriors 25-10, 25-13, 25-14.
Millias had 14 assists, adding four aces. Along with 13 assists, Caviness got eight kills and three aces. Felasco added six kills as Den Bleyker got five kills, Wisely four kills and Dan Seliger four kills.
On Liverpool’s side, Hunter Vang had six assists and two kills, while Vincent Lee produced four assists. Eric Baker contributed two kills and two digs, with John Coggiola and Hy Le also managing two digs.
Before this, Liverpool won the second set 25-12 from Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday, but it didn’t break out the Warriors out of its slump as the Hornets won the opener 25-8, and then the third and fourth sets 25-13 and 25-19.
