As the only area winter girls volleyball team to win during the opening week of the regular season, Christian Brothers Academy was intent on maintaining that good form.
The Brothers did so in last Monday’s match against Port Byron, where it won the first set 26-24 and, after absorbing a 25-20 defeat in the second set, split the next two sets before taking the final set 25-9 to prevail.
Kristen DeLorenzo was superb on defense, recording 48 digs and earning 14 aces. Delaney Della Donna had 11 aces, 15 digs and eight kills, while Lauren Griffith got 17 assists.
Leading CBA’s group up front, Bella Roberson managed 12 kills and Gia Anthony earned 11 kills, with Makenna Shultz adding eight assists.
This followed a season-opening sweep of Pulask on Dec. 4 where DeLorenzo had nine kills and 26 digs to lead the way.
Delaney Della Donna had seven kills and 10 digs, while Lauren Griffith had 15 assists and four kills. Bella Roberson contributed four kills and five blocks.
CBA saw its win streak halted Wednesday at Cortland against a Purple Tigers who had rallied from a two-set deficit to knock off defending sectional Class B champion Chittenango earlier in the week.
Not having a letdown, Cortland rolled past the Brothers 25-13, 25-7, 25-19, led by Kayci Olson, who had six kills, and Grace Call, who earned 11 assists.
But CBA was able to roar back on Thursday night and beat Weedsport in four sets, surrendering the first set before taking over in a 17-25, 25-14, 25-14, 25-15 decision.
East Syracuse Minoa returned to action Thursday night, traveling to Central Valley Academy, where the Spartans were able to get its first win of the season, but it required five sets.
Having lost 25-15 to the Thunder in the opener, ESM won the second set 25-20. Then CVA rolled through the third set 25-14, but again the Spartans fought back, winning the fourth 25-19.
A 25-18 victory in the final set completed ESM’s comeback as Olivia Fortuno and Skyler Mahoney each had seven kills, with Alana Day and Ariana Costanzo getting four kills apiece. Costanzo earned seven assists and Helaina Scolaro finished with 12 digs.
With this newfound momentum, ESM prevailed again on Saturday, splitting its first two sets with Vernon-Verona-Sherrill 25-16, but then edging the Red Devils 25-21 and 25-23 in the next two sets to win it.
Day finished with 16 assists and six digs, while up front Costanzo had eight kills, to go with seven digs and four assists. Fortuno managed nine kills and three aces. Scolaro had nine digs, three aces and three kills, Mahoney adding four kills.
Manlius-Pebble Hill, which dropped its first match of the season to Chittenango on Dec. 5, fell again last Monday night against Weedsport, taking a 25-14, 25-9, 25-19 defeat to the Warriors.
Two nights later, hosting Faith Heritage, the Trojans were close in the first two sets, but the Saints were still able to prevail 25-20, 25-23, 25-13. Then MPH had its own match with Port Byron on Friday and lost 25-10, 25-12, 25-19 to the Panthers.
