ONONDAGA COUNTY – Having nearly upended Baldwinsville in a five-set classic in its March 19 season opener, the Fayetteville-Manlius girls volleyball team followed it up with more challenging matches.
This included last Saturday’s showdown agianst Jamesville-DeWitt, where the Hornets managed to get the best of the Red Rams in a four-set battle.
Unfazed by J-D pulling out a marathon 30-28 decision in the first set, F-M rolled through the second set 25-11 and never let the Rams recover, claiming the next two sets by 25-19 and 25-15 margins.
For the victorious Hornets, Morgan Napier managed 41 assists,and 15 digs passing it to several front-line stars led by Harper Stoppacher, who got 11 kills, and Kaylene Nobel, who had 10 kills.
Close behind them, Amanda Groesbeck managed seven kills and four blocks, while Nina Avery had six kills and Ijeoma Okeh managed five kills. Molly McNany produced 21 digs and Zoe Myint added six digs.
On J-D’s side, Sophia Ferris and Linda Shen each had eight kills, Shen picking up 12 digs as Jess Burgess got nine digs. Amber Hamernik managed five kills as Maris Ryan earned 23 assists.
To start the week, it was the Hornets handling Henninger last Tuesday night in a 25-10, 25-13, 25-7 sweep where Myint got six assists and six aces against the Black Knights and McNany had five aces to go with 10 digs.
Nobel had six kills, just ahead of Oksana Dannenberg’s total of five kills and Groesbeck earning four kills. Stoppacher had eight digs as she and Okoh got three kills apiece.
Then, against Cicero-North Syacuse Thursday night, F-M faced another five-set battle and, again, rallied from a big deficit, only to again see the comeback fall short.
The Northstars claimed the first two sets 25-18 and 25-14. Just like it did with B’ville, F-M turned it around in a big way, dominating the third set 25-13 and the fourth set 25-14.
C-NS had the last push, though, prevailing 25-16 in that final set to overcome 38 assists and 12 digs from Napier, plus 17 kills from Stoppacher. McNany managed 19 digs as Okoh and Groesbeck had five kills apiece.
J-D began the week strong having put together a strong performance last Monday at Liverpool, the Red Rams handling the Warriors in three sets that included a 25-12 opener and a 25-17 decision in the third.
Ryan, earning 18 assists and six digs, passed it to a front line where Ferris gained eight kills and Shen had six kills to go with her 12 digs. Elsa Hardt finished with four kills.
Up against West Genesee Thursday night, J-D pulled off another impressive victory, taking just three sets to put away the Wildcats 25-21, 25-18, 25-18.
Ryan picked up 20 assists and eight digs, with Jess Burgess adding nine digs. Shen and Hamernik both had five digs as Ferris finished with six kills and Hardt matched Hamernik’s total of four kills.
