Even with serious challengers rising around them, the path to glory in area high school girls volleyball still runs through Westhill.

Completing an early clean sweep of all of its neighbors, the Warriors met up with Marcellus last Tuesday night, and a dominant 25-10 first set the tone, Westhill going on to win the next two sets over the Mustangs 25-19 and 25-21.

Sara Galante put away 20 kills and got eight digs as teammate Kate Heinrich added seven kills. Sara Schwartz finished with 27 assists  and three aces as Gianna Militi amassed 22 digs and four aces. Hannah Schmitz had six digs.

Marcellus, unable to keep up with the Warriors, still had Bronte Stahl finish with six kills and six digs, while Jenna Mattison produced 10 assists. Elaine Grattan had eight digs and Evelyn Webster contributed seven digs.

A day later, Westhill routed Institute of Technology Central 25-9, 25-6, 25-5, serving up 30 aces, six each by Schwartz and Jill Wicks. Galante and Schmitz each got four aces as Heinrich earned nine kills and Tori Militi earned 11 assists.

Skaneateles got challenged a bit last Tuesday by Syracuse Academy of Science, who rallied to win the second set 25-22 after the Lakers beat them 25-10 in the opener.

Regrouping, Skaneateles claimed the next two sets by 25-17 and 25-18 margins to take the match as Lily Delasin did it all, earning 23 assists, nine aces, seven kills and six digs. Maeve Canty got 13 kills and eight digs, with Emma Miller adding four kills. Emma Keady and Georgia Congel got three kills apiece.

Against Bishop Grimes Thursday night, the Lakers were steady and solid in a 25-14, 25-18, 25-18 sweep. Delasin had 17 assists, six kills, two kills and three blocks, while Canty got 14 kills and 12 digs. Keady served up five aces to go with five assists.

Meanwhile, Marcellus beat Phoenix 25-10, 25-21, 25-21, with Stahl earning six kills and nine digs as Mattison picked up 12 assists.

Solvay got into a long battle with Mexico last Tuesday, splitting the first two sets, each by 25-21 margins, and then losing the third set 25-23 before claiming the fourth set 25-22. The final set was close, too, but the Tigers edged the Bearcats 25-21.

Still, Sophia Guadagnolo ahd a triple-double of 31 assists, 15 blocks and 10 digs as Myah Platler got 13 kills, nine aces and 21 digs.

Jordan Bamba earned 17 digs as Ryleigh Bidwell, Anastasia LaFlair and Genea Kadlubowski had six kills apiece. Two nights later, Solvay lost, 25-13, 25-23, 21-25, 25-12 to Homer.

Jordan-Elbridge hosted Mexico last Monday night and the Eagles proved quite steady in a 25-18, 25-18, 25-17 victory over the Tigers.

Ashlee Eaton produced seven kills, with Ranait McGuire adding six kills and three blocks. Sarah Lane fed both of them with 16 assists as Paige Lane set a winning tone wither six aces.

In Thursday’s 25-13, 25-8, 21-25, 25-23 defeat to LaFayette, the Eagles nearly erased a 2-0 deficit, but saw that comeback thwarted as Lane had 12 assists, Eaton earning five kills and McGuire adding four kills. Liz Bartoszewski produced seven digs.

West Genesee went up close against reigning Class AA power Baldwinsville last Monday and took a 25-13, 25-12, 25-5 defeat to the Bees.

Anna Snyder finished with seven assists, while Mackenzie Winn and Riley Abdou each got four digs. Brooke Zajac, Mia Lamanna and Izzy Allen had three kills apiece. B’ville’s Kyrah Wilbur and Brooke Clute each had nine kills as Jenna Garvey got 18 assists.

Then WG lost to Fayetteville-Manlius on Wednesday night 25-22, 25-10, 25-20. Snyder finished with 16 assists, Zajac getting seven kills and Quirk adding five kills.

Bishop Ludden won a long battle with Hamilton last Tuesday, the Gaelic Knights dropping the first set 25-18 but then claiming the next two sets 25-11 and 25-22.

The Emerald Knights won the fourth set 25-19, but Ludden claimed the final set 25-18 as Kate Ruddy dished out 32 assists, with Megan Virkler earning 10 kills and Jasmine Cuffee and Jayden Burney each getting nine kills. AllyRoyal had 15 assists.

In another five-set match on Thursday, Ludden nearly upended Cazenovia, taking the first two sets 27-25 and 25-22, only to have the Lakers rallyand win the next three sets 25-20, 25-13 and 25-18.

Through it all, Ruddy picked up 34 assists, while Virkler gained 14 kills. Royal had 24 digs and Cuffee got 17 digs to go with her six kills. Alexis Pietrowski finished with 12 kills