CENTRAL NEW YORK – Each of the area’s trio of high school boys volleyball team finished their 2021 seasons with both optimism about what they had accomplished and eagerness to return to a “normal” fall schedule in barely four months’ time.
East Syracuse Minoa had progressed so much in its first year as a varsity program that even the setbacks weren’t too alarming.
The Spartans could not slow down 13-0 Cicero-North Syracuse last Monday in a 25-14, 25-13, 25-13 defeat, even with Aidan Finnerty and Sean Finnerty each getting seven kills.
Defensively, Cole Thomas produced 18 digs next to Devin Mascato-Buffaloe, who had 14 assists. C-NS’s Brandon Millias had 24 assists, passing it to Nick Espinoza (eight kills), Kevin Felasco and Gabe LaRobardiere (eight kills each) as Jamie Coutright added five kills.
But when ESM took on Jamesville-DeWitt two nights later, it all turned around, the Spartans needing just three sets to put away the Red Rams as it took each of the first two sets 25-16 and the third set 25-11.
Mascato-Buffaloe picked up 18 assists and Thomas had 12 digs, while up front Aidan Finnerty earned seven kills and Brown six kills. Sean Finnerty served up seven aces to go with five kills as Will D’Agostino managed three kills and three blocks.
Friday’s season finale against Oswego proved memorable, too. ESM lost the first two sets 25-19 and 25-23 and were two points from getting swept before taking the third set 26-24.
Then the Spartans claimed the fourth set 25-22, setting up a final-set race to 15 that was close all the way before the Buccaneers pulled it out 15-13.
Having finished its inaugural season 9-5, ESM still got 34 assists from Mascato-Buffaloe and 19 digs from Thomas. Aidan Finnerty had 15 kills, Brown added 11 kills and three blocks, Sean Finnerty had nine kills and Aiden Betts helped out with seven kills, D’Agostino picking up five kills and five blocks.
In defeat, J-D’s Nolen Brann earned 15 assists, his passes often going to James Saroney (six kills) and Ty Parker (five kills) as Saroney got three aces and Avery Tyson earned three kills.
Before this, J-D returned to the win column last Monday night by sweeping Syracuse City, following a 25-6 romp in the first set with 25-22 and 25-17 decisions in the next two sets.
Cooper Werner served up seven aces for the Red Rams, with Brann getting 16 assists. Parker picked up a team-best seven kills, with Jack Moore adding nine digs as he and Werner both got three kills.
As ESM was beating J-D, Fayetteville-Manlius was taking on Baldwinsville, dropping the second set 25-23 after winning the opener 25-16, but then putting away the Bees 25-16 and 25-20 in the next two sets.
Cyrus Felton accounted for nearly a set’s worth of points just with his 20 kills, while Brandon Rogers had nine kills and two digs. Isaac Frechette added five kills as Aidan Liddell picked up 34 assists.
All of this helped the Hornets finish with an overall record of 10-2, second in the Salt City Athletic Conference only to C-NS’s perfect 15-0 mark.
