ONONDAGA COUNTY – Amid the transition from March to April, area high school girls volleyball teams faced plenty of tough competition, with varying results.
In one instance, it was two of those teams facing each other, Fayetteville-Manlius clashing with Jamesville-DeWitt and the Hornets prevailing in a three-set sweep.
Only pushed hard in the first set, F-M took it 25-22, then won the next two sets 25-16 and 25-15, overcoming Maris Ryan giving the Red Rams 10 assists, five kills and four digs. Linda Shen had four kills and 10 digs.
Before this, F-M lost the first set to West Genesee 25-20 last Tuesday, then took the next two sets 25-21 and 25-17 before a long, tense fourth set that the Hornets pulled out 30-28 to close out the Wildcats.
With her 46 assists and eight digs, Morgan Napier fed it to Harper Stoppacher, who had 16 kills,, three aces and 11 digs. Kaylene Nobel got 10 kills and four blocks as Nina Avery had seven kills and nine digs. Amanda Groesbeck had six kills and five blocks. Ijeoma Okoh earned four kills.
F-M then swept Liverpool 25-22, 25-22, 25-17 on Saturday, with Stoppacher and Nobel each earning 12 kills as Avery and Groesbeck both got five kills. Napier had 31 assists and 10 kills, with McNany getting 13 digs and Stoppacher 11 digs.
When challenging Baldwinsville on Saturday, J-D lost the first set 25-15 but pulled even by winning the second set 25-20 before the Bees wore down the Rams 25-19 and 25-11 in the last two sets.
Ferris still had eight kills and nine digs, with Shen getting seven kills and 15 digs. Ryan gained 18 assists and Amber Hamernik finished with 11 digs.
East Syracuse Minoa moved to 3-2 in last Tuesday’s match against Oswego, needing four sets to put away the Buccaneers 25-12, 25-22, 23-25, 25-9.
Though not quite getting a sweep, the Spartans closed strong as Helaina Scolaro had seven kills and five digs, with Autumn Stoia adding five kills and Laura Sitnik four kills, adding eight digs.
Emma Talarico also got four kills as Alana Day earned 14 assists and six digs, Morgan Ransom adding five digs.
Bishop Grimes rallied from a two-set deficit in last Tuesday’s match against Syracuse Academy of Science, falling behind 25-21 and 25-17, but then rolling through the next two sets 25-18 and 25-8.
In a tense final set, the Cobras edged the Atoms 25-23 to complete the comeback and improved to 2-1 overall, Lexi Emmi earning 21 assists as Avery Burnette had four kills and Izzy Kinsey got eight aces.
Christian Brothers Academy was close in last Tuesday’s match against Skaneateles, dropping the first set 29-27 but winning the third set by that same score, though the Lakers took the other sets 25-21 and 25-22.
Then, trying to stop Westhill’s 43-match win streak on Wednesday, the Brothers were able to earn the third set, though it fell to the Warriors 25-14, 25-13, 22-25, 25-9.
Bella Roberson had six kills and four blocks, with Grace Catalano adding four kills and eight digs. Ashley Brown got eight assists as Lily Geneocco notched 12 digs and four aces. Josie DePalma contributed 10 digs.
Manlius-Pebble Hill lost last Tuesday to Bishop Ludden 25-20, 25-20, 26-24, as close as the Trojans got to winning sets in any of its matches so far.
But the Trojans broke through on Thursday against SAS, dropping the first two sets 25-22 and 25-21, but roaring back to take the third set 25-18, surviving a 26-24 fourth set and beating the Atoms 25-18 in the fifth.
