ONONDAGA COUNTY – Within its first two matches in 2021, the Baldwinsville girls volleyball team went through more small setbacks than it sometimes has experienced in entire seasons against area foes.
Pushed to five sets by Fayetteville-Manlius on March 19, the Bees again found itself with some adversity in last Tuesday’s match against Cicero-North Syracuse.
Here, it was a sluggish start as B’ville lost the opening set 25-21, but once it claimed the second set 25-20, the Bees gradually took over and handled C-NS 25-14 and 25-17 in the next two sets.
Kyrah Wilbur and Brooke Clute remained steady front-line presences, Wilbur earning 12 kills and five digs, and Clute adding 11 kills to go with 13 digs as Gianna May helped out with six kills.
Feeding all of them, Jenna Garvey earned 28 assists, plus seven digs. Sophia Ianno earned 10 digs as, for C-NS, Brooke Segars had 11 kills, Hannah Mingle got 21 digs and Cassidy Ormond gained 22 assists.
Another test loomed on Saturday against West Genesee, but here the Bees did not trip up once, pulling through the first set 25-21 and then rolling past the Wildcats 25-17 and 25-11 in the next two sets for the sweep.
Clute had 13 kills, three blocks and three digs, with Wilbur getting 11 kills and four aces. Sydney Aiello also had four aces, with Garvey notching those same four aces to go with her 26 assists. Ianno and Catherine Iven each got four digs.
Moving to boys volleyball, Baldwinsville was upended in last Monday’s match against Liverpool, the Bees unable to get going in a 25-7, 25-13, 25-21 defeat to the Warriors.
Then, in a challenge against the reigning sectional champions from C-NS, B’ville improved as the match went on, yet still lost to the Northstars 25-9, 25-12, 25-16.
James Brussel managed five kills against the Northstars, with Xzavier Vanderstuow managing four kills. Carter Healey earned 11 assists and two aces, with Austin McClintic producing three blocks. C-NS got 17 assists from Brandon Millias, 10 digs from Trace LaRobardiere and six kills from Kevin Felasco.
Playing Saturday against Living Word Academy, B’ville pulled ahead with a 25-20 victory in the opening set, only to have the Lions take the second set 25-17.
The third set proved pivotal, with B’ville getting several chances to go back in front before Living Word claimed it 28-26, going on to end the match 25-21 in the fourth set.
Healey, with his 25 assists, passed it to Brussel, who had nine kills, along with McClintic and BenStisser, who had six kills apiece. Adam Lobdell added five kills and John Morrissey gained 11 digs as Tim Plewak (12 kills), Jacob Mazur (10 kills) and Matt Rudisky (30 assists) paced Living Word.
As the boys Bees meet East Syracuse Minoa, Oswego and F-M this week, the B’ville girls host Liverpool Thursday and honor its seniors on Saturday before its match with Jamesville-DeWitt.
