How much can things change in four weeks?
Just ask the Baldwinsville boys volleyball team, who on Sept. 13 lost at Fayetteville-Manlius in four sets, but a month later reversed that outcome and this time beat the Hornets in four sets.
As can happen often, the first set had a carryover effect, B’ville pulling out the opener 25-22 and then running over F-M 25-14 in the second set.
Even though the Hornets kept the match going with a 25-20 win in the third set, the Bees shook off that setback and, in the fourth set, easily won 25-16 to end it.
Thomas Higman used his 29 assists to feed a deep, powerful front line led by Aidan Priest, who had 11 kills, two assists and two digs.
David Cornell chimed in with nine kills and two aces, while Luc Jerome got seven kills and three digs. Connor Garvey served up five aces to go with five kills as Bradford Doubleday contributed seven digs.
F-M’s Chris Blum picked up 27 assists, with Anderson Fuller gaining 12 kills and five digs. Aaron Costanza added six kills and seven digs as Cyrus Felton stepped up for five kills and Evan Bybee had four kills.
It was just what B’ville needed before its big match Thursday with defending sectional champion Cicero-North Syracuse, whom it pushed to five sets on Sept. 18.
With another chance at payback, the Bees, after dropping the first set 25-19, won the second set 26-24 and was close in the third set, too, only to have C-NS pull that out 25-22 and then win the fourth set 25-18 to end it.
Higman got 29 assists, feeding it to Jerome (nine kills), Cornell and Priest (eight kills each) as Garvey got five kills and Doubleday contributed nine digs.
For C-NS, Trent Caviness led with 10 kills, 16 assists, four blocks and three digs. Brandon Millias had 18 assists. Carter Wisely had eight kills and three blocks, with Jake Den Bleyker and Kevin Velasco each earning seven kill/ Josh Pickard gained six blocks to go with six kills
None of this excitement carried over to girls volleyball, where Baldwinsville may have faced challenges in its multiple weekend tournaments, but has overwhelmed every single Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division foe.
So it was again last Wednesday as the Bees, after some stress in the opening set against visiting West Genesee, took over and swept the Wildcats for the second time this season 25-20, 25-18, 25-10.
Summer McClintic put together 26 assists, adding six kills and eight digs, while Jenna Garvey earned 12 assists and four digs. Brooke Clute had seven digs to go with three aces.
Up front, Rileigh Kimball led the way with 16 kills, four assists, three digs and two aces. Carly May gained 10 kills, with Katie Welcher and Sophia Kordas each putting away seven kills, Kordas adding three aces and Welcher four digs.
Without any rest, B’ville sought a 10th consecutive sweep at 7-3 Cicero-North Syracuse a night later, and got it, tearing through the first set 25-11 and then the next two sets by 25-16 and 25-18 margins.
Kimball managed 16 kills, three blocks and seven digs, with Welcher adding nine kills. Kordas had five kills, four blocks and four digs.
Meanwhile, McClintic earned 18 assists and four kills, with Garvey contributing 16 assists. Brooke Clute, with eight digs, led the defense as Sophia Cali (six digs) was close behind.
