ONONDAGA COUNTY – A busy string of early-season matches in area girls volleyball had seen Marcellus and Skaneateles step to the forefront.
The Mustangs began its week by handling Institute of Technology Central, playing its reserves in the third set but still turning back the Eagles 25-6, 25-10, 22-25, 25-8.
Along with her 20 assists, Jenna Mattison matched Sarah Louer with eight aces as Louer got five kills. Brooklyn Finnarty had eight kills and five aces, with Miranada Stewart getting seven kills and Hailey Gomez five kills as Elaine Grattan managed five aces of her own.
Then, on Thursday, Marcellus was quite impressive against 4-1 Homer, taking just three sets to stop the Trojans 25-11, 25-9, 25-23.
Finnarty’s nine kills, 13 digs and two blocks paced a front line where Louer (eight kills, 13 digs), Stewart (seven kills, four aces, four blocks) and Bryanna Goldsworthy (five kills, nine digs) also flourished. Mattison piled up 30 assists, six digs, three aces and two kills.
Skaneateles was coming off a big three-set sweep of Solvay on Sept. 11 and did not have a letdown, returning to the court last Tuesday and defeating Hannibal 25-7, 25-14, 25-19.
The Solvay match had featured a well-balanced Lakers front line where Reese McConochy led with eight kills, closely followed by Maddie Wright’s six kills as Rory Comer and Ayla Pascal had five kills apiece.
Maddy Bender, who had three aces, passed to all of them with 17 assists, Alice Bender adding seven assists. Libby Raymond also got three aces as Laci Gaidis earned 14 digs, Comer nine digs and Raymond seven digs.
Solvay quickly bounced back, sweeping Homer in a close 25-20, 25-22, 25-20 decision last Tuesday night, while Skaneateles handled Phoenix 25-12, 25-18, 25-20 on Thursday night.
West Genesee had started 2-0, but took its first blemish last Monday against Cicero-North Syracuse, splitting the first two sets before falling to the Northstars 25-20, 24-26, 25-19, 25-22.
The Wildcats saw Olivia Snyder amass 34 assists, eight digs, five kills and four aces. Cami Zajac got 11 kills, six aces and 12 digs, while Cameron Rosenthal put away 17 kills and had 17 digs. Maggie Dalgety finished with 12 digs.
Even more frustrating was a match against Liverpool two nights later where, after winning the first set 25-19, it lost the next two sets 25-20 and 25-21 before taking the fourth set 25-22.
In the final set, the Warriors pulled it out by that same 25-22 margin, negating Sonya Dunham’s 35 assists. Zajac had 18 kills and 17 digs, with Rosenthal getting 13 kills and 19 digs as Claire DeVore had 10 kills and Colleen Barry had 22 digs.
Westhill had already lost to WG and Marcellus, but did sweep Phoenix 25-7, 25-18, 25-7 last Monday. Kate Heinrich had nine kills and five aces, with Ava Baty getting six aces and 18 assists. Alison Lancette had four kills and four aces.
Bishop Ludden returned last Tuesday and swept Syracuse Academy of Science 25-17, 25-21, 25-12. Bridget Dunham amassed nine aces to go with six kills as Reese Evans added five aces and Paige Smith got seven assists.
Jordan-Elbridge met Phoenix last Tuesday and lost, 25-21, 25-23, 25-10 to the Firebirds, but rebounded in a big way by knocking off Cazenovia two nights later.
The Eagles won the opening set 25-18, Cazenovia got the second set 25-17. It went back and forth again, the Eagles claiming the third set 25-19 but the Lakers grabbing the fourth set 25-16.
J-E then rolled in the final set 25-14 to claim the match as Sarah Lane got 17 assists for the Eagles, passing it to Gabby Smart, who had nine kills, and Sydney Parsons, who had eight kills. Taylor Eaton and Valerie Reith each got seven digs.
