ONONDAGA COUNTY – Though the Fayetteville-Manlius girls volleyball team’s historic win over Baldwinsville last Monday grabbed most of the attention, another area team flourished, too, in the first full week of April.
East Syracuse Minoa, who had not played since a March 30 win over Oswego, improved to 4-2 overall when it swept Auburn last Monday night, handling the Maroons 25-16, 25-6, 25-18.
Alana Day finished with 13 assists and served up nice aces to lead ESM. Helaina Scolaro got five digs as she joined Laura Sitnik and Autumn Stoia with three kills apiece. Emma Talarico had four kills, with Arianna Constanzo and Hannah Hulchanski both recording a pair of kills.
Remaining in top form, the Spartans made it back-to-back sweeps on Wednesday night against Central Square, rolling to a 25-15, 25-12, 25-13 win over the Redhawks.
Between Day’s 20 assists, Sitnik’s 13 digs and Morgan Ransom’s seven digs, ESM covered the back line well. Stoia produced a team-best seven kills, with Scolaro and Talarico getting five kills apiece. Sitnik had four kills and Constanzo contributed three kills.
At Fulton Friday night, ESM cooled off, falling to the Red Raiders 25-19, 25-14, 25-17 despite Day’s 20 assists and Sitnik dazzling with 12 kills and 13 digs. Stoia added six kills as Talarico got seven digs and Ransom five digs.
And this busy week concluded for the Spartans with a 25-18, 25-19, 25-22 loss to West Genesee, who overcame nine assists from Day and Talarico’s five kills and three blocks. Sitnik added four kills.
Jamesville-DeWitt, who lost twice to F-M on March 27 and April 1, struggled again last Monday night against Cicero-North Syracuse, falling to the Northstars 25-16, 25-22, 25-17.
Linda Shen had 14 kills and 10 digs, with Maris Ryan getting 18 assists, 11 digs and four kills. Sophia Ferris had 13 digs to go with her six kills as Cassie Cappelletti got 18 digs and Sheila Phoha earned three kills.
Bishop Grimes was overwhelmed by Living Word Academy last Monday, dropping the first two sets 25-8 and 25-10, and though it won the third set 25-23 to prolong it, the Cobras fell 25-19 to the Lions in the fourth.
Leah Perry produced nine aces for Grimes as Lexi Emmi got seven assists. Avery Burnette had four kills, with Josie Schrembri and Natalie Musolino joining Emmi in each earning three kills.
Just 24 hours later, Grimes ran up against unbeaten Solvay and, in three sets, fell 25-13, 25-13, 25-21 to the Bearcats as Emmi had four assists and three aces, and Burnette added four digs.
But the Cobras broke up this skid with an impressive effort last Thursday against Bishop Ludden, taking just three sets to topple the Gaelic Knights 25-17, 25-19, 25-21.
Christian Brothers Academy had a rough week overall, taking a 25-20, 25-14, 25-19 defeat to Cazenovia and then falling to unbeaten Marcellus 25-19, 25-14, 25-22 later in the week.
Manlius-Pebble Hill earned its second win of the season last Friday night, taking just three sets to top Institute of Technology Central 30-28, 25-21, 25-13, though it lost to Solvay in three sets a day later.
