Maybe there were times this fall where the latest Cicero-North Syracuse boys volleyball team march to a fourth consecutive Section III Division I championship was not foreordained.
The Northstars had its fair share of struggles and, at one point in October, even got swept at Fayetteville-Manlius, a moment of vulnerability rarely seen in recent years.
Yet when it came time to contest the sectional title last Saturday at Jamesville-DeWitt, the old order was restored in a manner that C-NS fans knew – and liked – quite well.
Baldwinsville, again, was the Northstars’ sectional finals opponent. Perhaps the Bees did a favor to C-NS by defeating F-M in the sectional semifinal two nights earlier.
This was because, in their two regular-season matches, the Northstars, though tested by the Bees in five and four-set decisions, won them – and now, would do even better.
Focused at the outset, C-NS breezed to a 25-16 win in the first set. It got closer in the second set, but again the Northstars finished on top, 25-21, leading to a tight third set.
Up 14-9 at one point, C-NS saw that margin gradually shrink until, at 23-23, the two sides were even. Not wanting to prolong the match, the Northstars regained the serve and, with a single match point, ended it 25-23.
Each of the key players was outstanding, with Trent Caviness doing it all, from getting 16 assists and 11 kills to earning three aces, three blocks and four digs as Brandon Millias earned 17 assists and Dan Selliger got eight digs.
On the front line, when Millias wasn’t producing, Jake Den Bleyker was putting away nine kills as John Hendry got eight kills and Kevin Felasco gained seven kills. Josh Pickard had three kills and Carter Wisely had three assists, plus two kills.
For B’ville, Luc Jerome managed nine kills and five digs, with Connor Garvey adding eight kills as David Cornell got seven kills and eight digs. Thomas Higman passed it to them, earning 23 assists as Bradford Doubleday contributed seven digs.
On Friday night, C-NS will take on Section I champion Clarkstown South in the regional round at Fayetteville-Manlius, with the winner getting to the Nov. 17 state final four at the Albany Capital Center.
