One good part of the last full week of the regular season for the Skaneateles girls volleyball team was that it locked up the Onondaga High School League Patriot American division title.
Yet it came during a stretch where Skaneateles dealt with one of its most frustrating defeats of the season, a trip to Cazenovia last Monday where it led twice, yet could not hold on and lost this Laker duel in five sets.
Since starting 3-4, Cazenovia had reeled off five straight wins, but at times Skaneateles appeared ready to overwhelm them at Buckley Gym, claiming the first set 25-15 and the third set 25-14.
Each time, though, Cazenovia used its defense and timely power to claw back, claiming the second set 25-20 and then holding on, 25-22, in the fourth set to again pull even.
Once it got to a fifth set, Cazenovia felt comfortable, since it had beaten Solvay and Homer in five-set matches in recent weeks. Skaneateles tried to change that, but those other Lakers pulled out a 25-21 decision.
Through it all, Lily Delasin earned 43 assists, five kills, six digs and three aces. Maeve Canty pulled off a rare 20-20 effort with 22 kills and 20 digs as Jessica Patalino had 20 kills and 15 digs.
Lily Simmons had four aces to go with her nine digs as Zoe Franciamone got seven digs. Hannah Blowers and Emma Keady each had three kills and two aces, with Blowers adding five digs and Keady four digs.
For Cazenovia, Lindsey Lawson put away 19 kills, served up five aces and got 16 digs, with Mackenzie Waite adding four kills and 11 digs. Josie Avery earned 23 assists and 14 digs as Maddie Waite got 10 digs and Hope King earned eight digs,
With no time to fret, Skaneateles faced Hannibal one night later and unloaded on the Warriors in 25-5 and 25-6 romps in the first two sets before taking the third set 25-20 for the sweep.
Simmons had five aces and Delasin three aces to go with her 23 assists. Patalino had 11 kills and seven digs, with Canty getting six kills and five digs. Blowers contributed four kills.
In Thursday’s match at Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, the Lakers won the first two sets 25-17 and 25-13, relaxed a bit and lost the third set 26-24, but finished off the Rebels 25-22 in the fourth.
Delasin put together 36 assists, plus three kills and two aces. Canty got 13 kills and 13 digs, with Patalino adding 10 kills and eight digs. Blowers improved to six kills as Simmons managed five aces and eight digs, while Keady contributed three kills.
Now all that is left in the Lakers’ regular season is Monday’s match at Jordan-Elbridge before Skaneateles finds out its Section III playoff assignment late this week.
