The presence of the Baldwinsville girls volleyball team in a Class AA regional final was routine. What wasn’t was the team the Bees had to defeat in order to return to state championship weekend.
And while that might have made all the difference, the truth was that B’ville played so well in Saturday’s match against Section II champion Niskayuna, prevailing in a three-set sweep, that it might not have mattered which side it faced.
After years of duels between B’ville and Shenendehowa in this regional round, the formula changed when Niskayuna knocked off Shen in the Nov. 9 sectional Division II championship match.
Exactly one week later, it was the less-familiar Silver Warriors on the other side of the net, rather than the familiar Plainsmen. Instead of a seasoned, confident opponent that had foiled B’ville before, now it was the Bees holding the edge in big-match experience.
From the moment the first serve went in the air, that difference was on display.
B’ville gained the lead during the first set and deftly withstood all of Niskayuna’s attempts to catch up, winning that set 25-20. As the match wore on, the Bees got even more comfortable.
Whether it was Rileigh Kimball up front putting away kills or the duo of Summer McClintic and Jenna Garvey sending out passes from the back line, B’ville kept putting together point runs as it won the second set 25-19.
There wasn’t much drama in the third set, either, the Bees putting the match away 25-17 to end years of regional finals frustration and earn its way back to Glens Falls for the state final four.
This Saturday at Cool Insuring Arena (formerly the Civic Center), the Bees will start to seek a third state title to go with the ones it earned in 2010 and 2013.
In round-robin play next Saturday at 3 p.m., B’ville will play six sets against three opponents – Ossining, Connetquot and Orchard Park or Rochester Mercy. The best two teams advance to Sunday’s state final at 2 p.m.
