A mere two points separated the Cazenovia girls volleyball team from getting swept away in last Monday’s match at Bishop Grimes.
Here, the Lakers demonstrated some newfound resilience, rallying twice and eventually topping the Cobras in five sets as part of a week where it improved its overall record to 6-1.
Having won in five sets over Bishop Ludden on Sept. 19, Cazenovia found itself in a similar predicament against Grimes after dropping the first set 25-21.
It almost got worse, but with the second set tied, the Lakers were able to win the serve back and get the point it needed to pull it out 26-24, a win that got more valuable when the Cobras earned another 25-21 decision in the third set.
Cazenovia was down 2-0 to Ludden before rallying, so this was more manageable. It dominated the fourth set 25-14, and when Grimes tried to rebound in the final set, the Lakers answered them, got the clinching points and won the match 25-22.
Josie Avery’s 26 assists went to a variety of players, including Lindsey Clements, whose brilliant all-around effort included six kills, 11 digs, five aces and four assists.
Maddie Waite not only had nine kills, she produced 20 digs, while Avery had seven digs. Quinlan Emhoff and Anastasiya Yauorska each finished with five kills as Maren Smith contributed four kills. Helen Hauser had three kills as she and Natalie Tresco each got five digs.
It was easier for Cazenovia in Wednesday’s sweep of Altmar-Parish-Wiliamstown. The 25-16, 25-4, 25-11 victory over the Rebels included six aces from Waite and five aces from Fenton to go with her nine kills.
Avery produced 17 assists and three aces, with Hauser, Emhoff and Waite getting three kills apiece. Tresco led the defense with six digs, just ahead of Fenton and Waite, with five digs apiece, and Clements, who had five assists and four digs.
Cazenovia competed last Saturday in the Baldwinsville Fall Swing Tournament, part of a 28-team field divided into seven groups of four. The Lakers were paired with Wayne, Rochester Mercy (both from Section V) and Ithaca (from Section IV).
Eventually, Cazenovia finished 23rd in round-robin play and, paired up with reigning state Class B champion Westhill in the Bronze bracket, lost to the Warriors in two sets. Westhill went on to defeat Jamesville-DeWitt in the Bronze division final in three sets.
After all this, Cazenovia would visit Homer Monday before hosting Jordan-Elbridge Tuesday and going to LaFayette Thursday night.
