ONONDAGA COUNTY – All that the Cicero-North Syracuse boys volleyball team’s four-set victory over Liverpool did on April 2 was make everyone anticipate their rematch in the April 21 season finale.
Of course, plenty of action would take place before that point, and in none of them last week did the Northstars or Warriors stumble.
C-NS did get a legitimate push in last Tuesday’s match against Living Word Academy, only taking the first set 25-21 before comfortably putting away the Lions 25-16 and 25-17 in the next two sets.
Kevin Felasco managed 14 kills and Nick Espinoza added nine kills, pacing the front line. Jamie Courtright added six kills as Brandon Millias amassed 32 assists and four aces, with Trace LaRobardiere recording eight digs. For Living Word, Tim Plewak had 13 kills and Jacob Mazur earned 20 assists.
Then C-NS handled Oswego 25-18, 25-13, 25-12 for its 10th victory in a row Thursday night, where again Millias, with his 23 assists, was able to evenly spread around his passes.
Felasco led with nine kills, adding four digs. Gabe LaRobardiere had eight kills, with Espinoza picking up seven kills. Gabe LaRobardiere (seven digs) and Chris D’Agostino (six digs) led the defense, Robbie Siechen adding four assists.
As for Liverpool, it returned to action for the first time since the C-NS match last Tuesday and had little trouble putting away an East Syracuse Minoa side in its first varsity season.
The Warriors handled the Spartans 25-15, 25-17, 25-18 as Elliott DeForge and Anthony Pezzino both finished with 10 kills, Pezzino also earning 11 digs as DeForge got six digs and three aces.
Jeremy LaManche had four kills, while Quinn Moore had three kills to go with his 26 assists. Jackson Furr posted 12 digs and Anthony Caimano had three kills.
Going to Fayetteville-Manlius on Thursday, though, proved far more difficult as the Warriors ran into a Hornets squad who performed at a high level and prevailed in three sets 25-22, 25-23, 25-18.
DeForge still picked up 13 kills and Pezzino had 10 kills, each of them adding five digs. Furr, assuming back-line duties, finished with 26 assists and six digs. Caimano and LaManche had three kills apiece as Cyrus Felton (12 kills), Brandon Rogers (nine kills) and Aidan Liddell (29 assists) led the Hornets.
Then it was Liverpool against Jamesville-DeWitt on Saturday afternoon, and it recovered nicely from the F-M defeat, taking just three sets to beat the Red Rams 25-17, 25-19, 25-17.
Consistent and steady, the Warriors featured 16 kills from Pezzino and 12 kills from DeForge, with Moore getting 27 assists. Defensively, DeForge manged nine digs, Furr earned six digs and William Balduf stepped up with seven digs.
