For all the geographic scope possible in Section III Class B girls volleyball, the championship would get decided among two neighbors.
Westhill, the undefeated top seed, would get challenged by Solvay, the no. 3 seed, in Saturday’s match at Fayetteville-Manlius, but like so many others this season, the Bearcats could not get close to the Warriors, who prevailed in three sets.
This was particularly sweet for Westhill because it lost sectional finals in 2016 and 2017, but not here as it improved its record to 17-0 and advanced to the regional round this Wednesday at Daemen College against the Section VI (Buffalo area) champions
Each of the first two sets was a quick one, Westhill taking them 25-13 and 25-12. And though Solvay hung in there a bit longer in the third set, the Warriors, by a 25-22 margin, ended it.
Mackenzie Martin mixed in 15 assists, seven kills and six digs as Sara Galante got 13 kills and 11 digs. Sarah Schwartz earned 11 assists as Montanna Gedney had 11 digs to go with six kills and Gianna Militi had 10 digs. Kate Heinrich earned four kills, with Brigid Heinrich adding three blocks and two kills.
Solvay got six kills from Myah Platler and three kills from Brielle Bagozzi, with Allie Posnick getting nine assists and nine digs as Jordan Bamba contributed seven digs.
They got there following semifinals where Solvay went to no. 2 seed Marcellus and ousted the Mustangs in four sets as Westhill routed no. 4 seed and defending champion Cazenovia.
Solvay and Marcellus had split their regular-season meetings, and were even late into the third set here, Solvay having won the opener 25-17 and Marcellus the second set 25-18.
It all turned on the Bearcats getting the points it needed to claim that third set 25-23. And Solvay never gave back that momentum, going on to win the fourth set 25-19 and eliminate the same Marcellus side that swept them two weeks earlier.
Posnick finished with 29 digs and 23 assists, while Bamba finished with 13 digs to help Solvay on the defensive side. Alexa Filicia and Sophia Guadagnolo had five aces apiece, Filicia also getting seven digs.
Bagozzi had a team-best 11 kills, with Platler adding nine kills and five blocks. Genea Kadlubowski had six kills as Izzy Lambert got five kills.
Marcellus, in defeat, had Sydney French earn 12 kills, with Michaela Godbold adding seven kills, eight digs and three aces. Bronte Stahl (25 assists) and Evelyn Webster (15 digs) worked on the back line as the Mustangs finished its season 9-5
Meanwhile, there was never a doubt about Westhill putting away a Cazenovia side that had won 10 in a row since losing to the Warriors in three sets on Sept. 17.
The 25-11, 25-13, 25-10 romp featured Westhill limiting Cazenovia’s star hitter, Lindsey Lawson, to two kills and top setter Josie Avery to four assists and four digs.
Martin got 10 assists, eight kills and seven digs, with Galante adding 11 kills and three aces. Schwartz got 11 assists and three aces as Gedney had 10 digs, three kills and three aces. Militi contributed five digs and two aces.
In Class A, West Genesee was the no. 5 seed and lost its opening-round match in four sets to no. 4 seed Cicero-North Syracuse, but it nearly turned the other way.
After losing the first set 25-20, the Wildcats won the second set 25-21 and were two points from going in front, only to have the Northstars pull out the third set 26-24, C-NS riding that momentum to a 25-15 win in the fourth to end it.
Arlea Vecchio’s 25 digs led WG’s defense as Caroline Sgroi got 15 digs, Julia Quirk 12 digs and Mackenzie Winn and Brynn Zajac 11 digs apiece.
Zajac, with 13 assists, and Maddy Porter, with seven assists, passed it to Sgroi and Sarah Rigge, who got six kills apiece as Quirk earned five kills. The Wildcats finished its season at 7-12.
Bishop Ludden, in order to reach the Class D sectional final, had to get past Bishop Grimes in last Tuesday night’s semifinal, but lost in three sets to the Cobras.
Back on Oct. 11, these sides went to five sets, and though it lost that match, the Gaelic Knights figured that, at the very least, it could stay close to Grimes in this playoff rematch.
Instead, the Cobras won 25-13, 25-16, 25-22, never really letting Ludden get started despite Aurora Deshaies’ 12 kills and eight digs.
Kate Ruddy had 12 assists as Jasmine Cuffee had four kills and Megan Virkler three kills and three aces. Emma Catalano got six digs as the Gaelic Knights’ season ended at 11-8. Grimes went on to sweep Living Word Academy for the sectional Class D title.
