LIVERPOOL – While no sectional or state honors awaited them at its conclusion, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys volleyball team will at least take a lot of pride in playing 14 matches in this unique and challenging season without a defeat.
In fact, of those 14 wins, only one side, Liverpool, even earned a set against the Northstars, doing so when they first met April 2 at the C-NS gym.
The rematch at Liverpool Wednesday night brought this season to a close for both sides, and while the Warriors again showed plenty of skill, C-NS still prevailed in three sets.
Having rolled through the first set 25-15, the Northstars got more of a challenge in the second, Liverpool trying to pull even, but C-NS still holding on 25-21.
A 25-12 third set completed the Northstars’ undefeated run as, once more, Brandon Millias distributed well with his 28 assists and Trace LaRobardiere contributed 14 digs, Chris D’Agostino adding five digs.
Nick Espinoza, with 12 kills, and Kevin Felasco, with 11 kills, paced the Northstars’ front line, with Jamie Courtright adding five kills.
Anthony Pezzino led Liverpool’s efforts, putting away 10 kills as Elliot DeForge got six kills. Quinn Moore dished out 22 assists as Jackson Furr managed eight digs and DeForge added seven digs.
The Warriors finished 11-3 overall, with two of the defeats coming to C-NS and the other to Fayetteville-Manlius.
C-NS had to go through one more match before the showdown, subduing the strong first-year side from East Syracuse Minoa, who was 8-3 going into the match but, like so many others, could not keep up with the Northstars.
A 25-14, 25-13, 25-13 sweep proved that C-NS wasn’t looking ahead to the Warriors. Espinoza earned eight kills, with Felasco and Gabe LaRobardiere each adding seven kills and Jamie Coutright adding five kills.
Millias did most of the back-line work, ultimately producing 24 assists, while Trace LaRobardiere finished with eight digs and D’Agostino got four digs.
Meanwhile, the C-NS and Liverpool girls volleyball teams also closed their seasons, with the girls Northstars handling Henninger 25-17, 25-13, 25-4 to finish its season with an 11-2 record.
Brooke Segars and Natalie Tice both got five aces for C-NS as Segars, Alita Santangelo, McKenna Johnston and Madison Roche each got five kills and Maddy Howell led with six kills. Lexi Waite got 16 assists and Cassidy Ormond 13 assists, with Roche earning seven digs.
That same night as C-NS’s finale, Liverpool’s girls went up against Fayetteville-Manlius. A 25-6, 25-19, 25-21 loss to the Hornets meant that the Warriors finished at 2-9, with Morgan Napier (41 assists), Kaylene Nobel (14 kills) and Harper Stoppacher (11 kills, nine digs) leading F-M.
