ONONDAGA COUNTY – On parallel paths, but never facing each other, girls volleyball teams at Solvay and Marcellus would go through their unique March-April schedule in 2021 without a blemish.
The Mustangs’ 10-0 season featured two five-set wins over reigning state Class B champion Westhill, while the Bearcats’ 11-0 run mostly featured sweeps, with one big exception.
On April 17, Solvay took on Cazenovia and lost the first set 25-23 before taking the second set 25-18 and then romping through the third set 25-9.
Two points from defeat, the Lakers roared back to take the fourth set 27-25, but the Bearcats kept its poise and controlled the final set to win the match 25-17, surviving its biggest scare so far.
Myah Platler had 21 kills and 16 digs, with Alicia Granger adding 16 kills and 13 digs. Margaret Kemp added eight kills and 10 blocks as Jessica Marotti gained six aces and eight digs. Platler and Granger each got three aces.
Toni Sardo, with 33 assists, eight digs, three blocks and two kills, was helped on the back line by Brayla Bagozzi and her 11 assists. Jordan Bamba anchored the defense throughout the match, gaining 35 digs.
It proved easier for Solvay in its remaining two matches, starting with Bishop Ludden as the Bearcats swept the Gaelic Knights 25-20, 25-5, 27-25.
Bagozzi served up nine aces to go with her 11 assists as Sardo got seven assists. Grainger paced the front line with seven kills and three aces, just ahead of Kemp’s five kills and Platler’s four kills.
On Ludden’s side, Jasmine Cuffee had a team-best five kills, with Paige Smith adding three kills. Kate Ruddy amassed eight assists and five digs, Amelia Adams adding three aces.
All that was left for Solvay was to defeat Bishop Grimes on Thursday night for its perfect mark – and it did so, rolling through the first two sets 25-14 and the third set 25-20 to get to 11-0.
Olivia Petralito and Genea Kadlubowski led the Bearcats, each getting six kills as Platler got five kills and eight digs. Bagozzi again served well, earning seven aces to go with eight assists as Sardo picked up 15 assists.
West Genesee finished its season at 6-8 last Tuesday night against Nottingham, the Wildcats earning a 25-11, 25-21, 25-16 victory over the Bulldogs.
Izzy Allen earned eight kills and Mia Lamanna added five kills, with Phoebe Anderson and Gianna Corbin getting four kills apiece as Maggie Clancy had 14 assists and Olivia Snyder earned seven assists. Anderson added four aces.
Ludden played once more on Thursday and, aside from a second-set blemish, put away the Atoms 25-13, 25-27, 25-10, 25-7 to finish its season at 7-5.
Cuffee stood out with 15 kills, helped by Ruddy, who had 10 aces and six kills to go with her 14 assists. Sarah Fink had five assists as Serena Royal (six aces) and Rachel Sherwood (five aces) also served well.
