ONONDAGA COUNTY – In their own ways, and against their own unique sets of opponents, the girls volleyball teams from Marcellus and Jordan-Elbridge were intent on maintaining their unbeaten marks.
And no match meant more than the Mustangs’ season finale last Friday, a rematch with Westhill just 11 days after Marcellus, in five sets, put an end to the Warriors’ 44-match win streak on April 5.
The second time around, it looked for a while like Westhill would get even – but with a memorable comeback, Marcellus would, once again, prevail and finish its perfect 10-0 run.
Having claimed every match since that first defeat, the Warriors fought off the Mustangs 25-22 in the first set and looked to have total control thanks to a 25-16 win in the second set.
But in the third set, the Mustangs began to rally, claiming it 25-19 and by that same score also winning the fourth set, leading to the final set of the season.
Though it was close, the key points went to Marcellus and it won, 25-22, having seen Jenna Mattison pick up 40 assists to go with 17 digs and three kills, while Elaine Grattan gained 30 digs.
Brook Finnarty gained 11 kills and 15 digs. Anna Fern, Miranda Stewart and Sarah Louer each had nine kills, Louer adding 17 digs as Bronte Stahl got eight kills, three blocks and 22 digs.
For Westhill, Kate Heinrich produced 23 kills and Alison Lancette gained 13 kills, with Morgan Richardson adding seven kills and 20 digs. Hannah Schmitz amassed 45 assists and 26 digs as Tori Militi earned 24 digs.
Before all this, the Mustangs found itself even with Homer through two sets last Monday night, but went on to beat the Trojans 25-15, 22-25, 25-10, 25-15.
Mattison had 44 assists and 18 digs, plus three aces, passing it to a well-balanced front line led by Stahl and Finnarty, who each had 14 kills as Stahl got 26 digs and Finnarty 21 digs, Stewart managed 12 kills and four blocks, while Louer earned 23 digs and Grattan finished with 15 digs.
Against Cazenovia on Thursday, Marcellus rolled 25-12, 25-13, 25-15 as Stahl got 10 kills, four aces, seven digs and four assists. Finnarty had eight kills, with Stewart getting seven kills, Fern six kills and Louer five kills in front of Mattison, who accumulated 27 assists. Elaine Grattan amassed 25 digs.
Westhill, meanwhile, got two sweeps in a row, starting with last Monday’s 25-12, 25-22, 25-12 romp over Cazenovia.
Only the second set proved close as Schmitz amassed 26 assists and 15 digs. Militi added 10 digs as Heinrich put away 12 kills, Lancette had seven kills and \ Richardson earned six kills.
A 25-15, 25-17, 25-7 romp of CBA followed on Wednesday. Militi and Richadson finished with four aces apiece, also combining for 13 digs. Heinrich produced 12 kills and Lancette had seven kills, with Schmitz gaining 25 assists.
J-E, 8-0 going into the week, could not maintain its perfect mark as it dropped a five-set classic to Phoenix.
The Eagles won the opener 25-18 over the Firebirds, only to drop a tight second set 25-23 and a more lopsided third set 25-15. Two points from defeat in an elongated fourth set, J-E stayed alive, 28-26.
That led to a final set just as close, with a handful of match points squandered before Phoenix, at 27-27, regained the lead and, holding on to its serve, won the match 29-27.
Paige Lane and Abby Ahern both finished with 16 kills, while Taylor Eaton had 14 digs and Elizabeth Bartoszewski had nine digs. Sarah Lane got nine assists and six aces.
On Thursday, against Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, J-E lost the first two sets by equal 25-19 margins, pulled even with 25-11 romps in the next two sets and, in the final set, claimed a close 27-25 decision to complete its comeback and beat the Rebels.
Paige Lane amassed 14 aces to go with 12 digs. Bartoszewski added nine digs as Sarah Lane gained 22 assists, with Ahern accumulating 10 kills, four aces and four digs. Ava Hildebrant also had four aces.
