At least for a single set, the Fayetteville-Manlius girls volleyball team could say that it got the best of its long-time nemesis from Baldwinsville.
That was part of the takeaway from last Monday’s SCAC Metro division match, with the Hornets falling in four sets, but proving, at leaset for a while, that it could make the mighty Bees worry a bit.
Both teams were coming off tournament action on Sept. 7, F-M having hosted the “Hornets’ Nest” event as B’ville gained an impressive title over host Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, who has won six state championships.
Two nights later, they were going head-to-head, and the Bees made enough mistakes in the first set that the Hornets capitalized and won that set 25-22.
And the second set was close, too, but B’ville pulled this out 25-22. Perhaps denied its best chance at an upset, F-M could only watch as the Bees claimed each of the next two sets by equal 25-14 margins.
Juliana Myagkota still managed 14 kills, with Nina Avery notching 10 kills and Kendra Broddus getting eight kills. Defensively, Morgan Napier notched 18 digs, with Harter Stoppacher adding eight digs.
On its side, B’ville had Jenna Garvey earn 23 assists and Summer McClintic add 13 assists. McClintic also had 11 kills, part of a strong front line that included Kordas, who had 10 kills.
Facing Cicero-North Syracuse on Wednesday night, the Hornets were poised to win, having taken the first two sets 25-15 and 25-21. But the Northstars, after winning the third set 25-9, kept F-M from closing it out in the fourth set, pulling it out 27-25 and then winning the fifth 25-17 to complete the rally.
Broddus put away 11 kills, with Stoppacher and Mackenzie Helmer each adding nine kills. Anna Williams had six kills. Napier notched 39 assists and 11 digs as Thomas produced 33 digs, Myaghkota had 18 digs to go with five kills, and Avery had 12 digs.
Then F-M went to Central Square’s Dig Pink Tournament on Saturday before a busy week that would culminate Thursday with the Hornets battling its neighbors from Jamesville-DeWitt.
For its part, J-D had already swept PSLA-Fowler 25-12, 25-10, 25-10 last Tuesday night, with Sophia Ferris earning six kills and Amber Hamernik adding five kills. Maris Ryan earned eight assists and Grace DiGiovanni contributed six assists,
Then the Red Rams lost the first set to Homer 29-27 a night later, but rebounded to win the next three sets by 25-21, 25-17 and 25-22 margins.
Ryan had 30 assists and 14 digs as Aurora LeClair got 27 digs. Linda Shen, with 15 kills, paced J-D’s front line, Skylar Hardt contributing nine kills and seven blocks as Fiona McNeil had four kills and eight blocks and Ferris got eight kills. Cara Glazier had 12 digs.
Then J-D swept Fulton 25-15, 25-17, 25-14 on Thursday night, seeing Shen deliver seven kills and Elena Hardt add six kills. Ferris had four kills, the same as Skyler Hardt, with Ryan earning 19 assists and LeClair getting eight digs.
Bishop Grimes returned to action last Tuesday night, sweeping Hamilton 25-11, 29-27, 25-12. Izzy Kinsey managed eight kills, three aces and nine digs, with Bella D’Andrea and Abbey Clapper earning seven kills apiece. Lexi Emmi earned 22 assists, five digs and four aces.
Then, in Friday’s match against Bishop Ludden, the Cobras won the first set 25-21, lost the next two sets 25-10 and 25-22 and claimed the fourth set 25-17, only to drop the final set to the Gaelic Knights 25-17. D’Andrea finished with 13 kills, while Kinsey had seven kills and Emmi got 23 assists.
In boys volleyball, Fayetteville-Manlius had opened its season Aug. 30 with a tournament appearance in Baldwinsville, then was off until last Tuesday night, when in its first head-to-head match of the fall it defeated Oswego in four sets.
Close 28-26 decisions in each of the last two sets indicated how good this match was as Andersen Fuller put away 20 kills, with Cyrus Felton adding 13 kills and six digs. Feeding both of them, Brandon Rogers piled up 37 assists as Sam Elbadawi had a team-best seven digs. Isaac Frechette contributed five digs.
Jamesville-DeWitt ran into Cicero-North Syracuse and lost, 25-18, 25-13, 25-22 to the Northstars. Matt Cieplicki still finished with 11 kills, while Nick Kemmis got six kills and Kenny Hildreth added five kills. Brevin Scullion passed to them and earned 23 assists.
But the Red Rams rebounded two days later to sweep Liverpool 25-19, 25-21, 25-18. Scullion gained 32 assists, passing it to Cieplicki, who had 15 kills, and Kemmis, who got 13 kills. Hildreth earned five aces.
