While expecting another state Class B championship might prove excessive, the Westhill girls volleyball team still figures that it can outplay all of its challengers.
But the Warriors would have to do so with new faces on the roster and a new head coach as, with the state title achieved, Carolyn Corley moved over to Camillus and took over the West Genesee program.
Karla Prince is Westhill’s new head coach, and her first match proved an impressive one as Westhill went to Solvay and took just three sets to beat the Bearcats, claiming the first two sets by equal 25-20 margins and the third set in a 25-12 romp.
Sarah Schwartz, with her 23 assists, set the table for Sarah Galante, who put away 15 kills. Kate Heinrich added seven kills as, on the defensive side, Gianna Militi stood out, earning 15 digs.
Just as impressive for Westhill was the way it played last Friday against Skaneateles. Off to a 2-0 start of its own, the Lakers were close in each set, yet could not get the points it really needed, and the Warriors prevailed 25-19, 25-21, 25-23.
Galante earned 18 kills, with Milliti again earning 15 digs. Hannah Schmitz added nine digs and Heinrich got five kills. Skaneateles lost despite Lily Delasin’s 17 assists and Maeve Canty’s 10 kills, to go with nine digs. K irsten Henry added nine digs.
Skaneateles, already with a win over Living Word Academy in hand, prevailed again last Tuesday, the Lakers sweeping Hannibal 25-17, 25-17, 25-14 as Delasin got 20 assists, five aces and four kills. Canty got eight kills, nine digs and four assists, with Emma Keady adding six kills and four aces. Emma Miller also had four aces.
Then Skaneateles beat Altmar-Parish-Williamstown 25-12, 25-12, 25-8 on Thursday, getting its whole lineup involved. Canty mixed in seven aces, six kills and eight digs as Delasin got 17 assists, five digs and two blocks. Henry contributed six digs.
As for Corley’s new team, West Genesee had a successful opener of its own last Wednesday night, the Wildcats roaring to a 25-7, 25-16, 25-12 sweep over the Nottingham Bulldogs.
Anna Snyder put up 14 assists, her passes often going to Brynn Zajac, who had seven kills, two aces and two digs. Julia Quick and Mia Lamanna each had three kills, with Maggie Clancy contributing four assists
Elsewhere, Marcellus claimed its opener last Tuesday night in a 25-7, 25-8, 25-21 romp over Institute of Technology Central, led by Jenna Matteson, who served up nine aces and also earned 11 assists.
Bronte Stahl gave the Mustangs five aces, four kills and four digs, while Evelyn Webster had nine digs, three kills and four aces. Emily Falge gained three kills.
Marcellus added a 25-16, 25-5, 25-8 romp over Mexico Thursday night as Matteson produced 16 assists, the passes often going to Stahl, who got 10 kills. Elaine Grattan earned seven aces as Webseter led the defense with eight digs.
Jordan-Elbridge met Living Word and claimed the first two sets 25-23 and 25-15. On the brink of a sweep, the Eagles instead lost the third set 25-22 and saw the Lions win by that same margin in the fifth set after rolling through the fourth set 25-13 to pull even.
Ranait McGuire, with seven kills, and Ashlee Eaton, with five kills, led J-E’s front line. Cassie Klock and Paige Lane each had four aces as Sarah Lane got 10 assists. Gabriella Smart finished with five aces and four kills. Elizabeth Bartoszewski added eight digs.
Then J-E ran into Bishop Ludden last Wednesday, and those sides split the first two sets before the Gaelic Knights took over in the late stages to beat the Eagles 25-17, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21.
Kate Ruddy had 20 assists for Ludden, with Jayden Burney adding 10 kills and three blocks. Jasmine Cuffee had five aces as Alexis Pierrowski and Megan Virkler had six kills apiece. The Eagles got four kills from McGuire and four aces from Klock.
Ludden lost, 25-17, 25-17, 25-15, to LaFayette on Thursday despite Ruddy’s nine assists and four aces, plus five kills from Burney. J-E suffered its own lopsided defeat to Cazenovia 25-11, 25-14, 25-6 on Friday night.