ONONDAGA COUNTY – Amid a mad flurry of matches, many area high school girls volleyball teams quickly shot to the top of their respective league standings while also beating high-quality opposition.
One big match pitted West Genesee against Westhill, and in a reversal from seasons past, the Wildcats got the best of the battle, beating the Warriors in four sets.
Each of the first two sets was close as WG got the key points to win them 25-21 and 25-22. Westhill did take the third set 25-16 and nearly pushed the match further, only to have the Wildcats claim the fourth 25-23.
Olivia Snyder, in addition to her 25 assists, earned 14 digs, four kills and three aces. Cameron Rosenthal’s 16 kills led WG’s front line as Claire DeVore got six kills. Colleen Barry had seven assists and 11 digs. Westhill lost despite 38 assists from Kendall Fountain, 19 kills from Kate Heinrich and nine kills from Alison Lancette.
Not having a letdown, WG swept Nottingham 25-8, 25-23, 25-16 a night later. Sonya Dunham had 11 assists, with Rosenthal adding seven kills and Isabel Gardner gaining five aces.
Marcellus had a particularly strong start Sept. 2, sweeping Jamesville-DeWitt 25-16, 25-13, 25-12. Jenna Mattison picked up 15 assists, four aces and four digs. Elaine Grattan added three aces to go with 12 digs as Sarah Louer got six kills.
After going to the Penfield Tournament, Marcellus found itself in another local showdown last Thursday against Westhill, whom it beat twice in five-set epics last April on the way to a perfect 10-0 record.
This one didn’t take as long, the Mustangs sweeping the Warriors 25-17, 25-17, 25-16 behind Mattison’s 32 assists and Grattan’s 13 digs.
Lauer and Bryn Goldsworthy both earned nine kills, with Brooklyn Finnarty adding six kills. Carly Hopper and Miranda Stewart had five kills apiece. Westhill,got eight kills, five blocks, 11 assists and five digs from Kate Hinrich.
Skaneateles routed Altmar-Parish-Williamstown 25-5, 25-8, 25-5 last Friday as Rory Comer picked up 14 aces and Hannah Barkley added six aces. Matty Bender got three aces as Alice Bender earned six assists.
Even bigger for the Lakers was its 25-20, 25-19, 25-23 win over Solvay a day later which took place as Marcellus dominated Oswego in a 25-9, 25-10, 25-14 sweep which included seven kills from Hopper, five aces from Finnarty and 17 assists from Goldsworthy.
Solvay had an impressive season-opening effort on Sept. 3, sweeping Cazenovia 25-14, 25-18, 25-18.
Brayla Bagozzi (12 assists, and Toni Sardo (nine assists) worked the Bearcats’ back line. Alicia Grange had nine kills, 10 digs and four aces. Maggie Kemp had five aces and 10 digs, Jayde Coyne adding four aces and Neveah Baker 10 digs.
Following up with last Thursday’s 25-8, 25-15, 25-21 win over Phoenix, Solvay saw Grainger earn eight kills and Ashley Falicia get eight assists, plus four aces. Bagozzi had five aces, Coyne added five kills and Baker had seven digs.
Bishop Ludden began with a four-set victory over Living Word Academy, with Bridget Dunham and Sarah Fink each earning six aces as Paige Smith and Amelia Adams both got seven assists. Dunham also had 11 digs and four kills.
Then, a day later, the Gaelic Knights outlasted Hannibal in five sets, twice rallying as it lost the first and third sets to the Warriors, but still pulled it out 19-25, 25-21, 16-25, 25-20, 25-20.
Dunham gained eight aces, five kills and seven digs, with Adams and Smith both earning nine assists. Fink joined Adams in getting four kills, Fink adding five digs.
Ludden fell to Fulton 25-22, 25-19, 25-12 last Tuesday night, and on Thursday, against LaFayette, the Gaelic Knights lost in three sets 25-13, 25-14, 25-18, though Allison Bradley finished with six kills.
Jordan-Elbridge was swept 25-20, 28-26 and 25-19 by Bishop Grimes on Sept. 2 and met LaFayette two days before Ludden did, falling in five sets.
After winning the first set 25-19, the Eagles lost the next two sets 25-14 and 25-23. Two points from defeat, J-E did pull out the fourth 27-25 but fell in another 25-19 decision in the final set.
Gabby Smart had seven aces, five kills and 10 digs. Sarah Lane had nine assists as Valerie Reith (16 digs), Taylor Eaton (15 digs) and Sydney Parsons (12 digs) all stood out. J-E lost 25-15, 25-15, 25-20 to Hannibal on Thursday.
