LIVERPOOL – At least for now, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys volleyball team remains ahead of Liverpool in the standings and the fight for league and sectional honors.
But not by much.
It took every bit of the Northstars’ grit and resolve to overcome a two-set deficit, a month’s worth of service mistakes and one match point to knock off the Warriors in an epochal five-set battle in front of a large and loud crowd Tuesday night at the new LHS Gymnasium.
Each side entered the match undefeated, but C-NS had dominated the recent series with Liverpool, including a pair of victories in the spring, when the Warriors were the only team to even claim a set off the Northstars.
Fired up in front of a home crowd and playing with confidence, Liverpool quickly took the lead in the opening set and never let go of it, easily prevailing 25-18.
What followed was a second set that featured several lead changes and 15 ties. Three different times, the Northstars had set points, but could not convert them. At 26-26, Liverpool won back the serve and, with just one set point, closed it out 28-26.
In the rare position of trailing by two sets, C-NS again bolted in front in the third set. Even after the Warriors tied it, 18-18, the Northstars went on a decisive 6-1 run, eventually prevailing 25-21 to stay in the match.
The fourth set saw neither side lead by more than two points until Liverpool, down 14-13, reeled off six straight points, inching closer to a landmark win.
Battling back, C-NS inched in front 24-23 and, once again, was denied on a pair of set points. Then the Warriors went in front 26-25 and had a match point, only to see the Northstars fight it off, regain the serve and win 28-26 to even the contest.
In the final-set race to 15 points, Liverpool got the jump and went up 8-6, helped by three bad C-NS serves. But after a time-out, the Northstars scored five straight points.
They traded points from there until, at 14-11, C-NS was unable to convert two match points. Now within one, the Warriors tried to pull even – but a serve into the net ended the match and, by a 15-13 margin, the Northstars survived, knowing a rematch with Liverpool will take place Oct. 18.
Robbie Siechen led the Northstars with 43 assists, adding five kills and seven digs. Gabe LaRobardiere put up 18 kills, eight blocks and five assists, with Carter King adding 15 kills, three blocks and 11 digs. Reece Congel got 11 kills and five blocks. Joe Seliger added seven kills. C.J. Cartier and Connor Heymann also had six digs.
On Liverpool’s side, Elliott DeForge earned 18 kills and 13 digs, with Anthony Pezzino getting 15 kills and 11 digs. Nolan Feidt dished out 32 assists to go with 13 digs as Jackson Furr (25 digs) and Joe Sacco (10 digs) also starred on the defensive side.
Not having a letdown after this epic, C-NS swept Living Word Academy two nights later, getting through a pair of 25-20 sets before dominating the third as Siechen got 28 assists and seven kills. LaRobardiere had nine kills, with Seliger and Congel getting six kills apiece.
In Friday’s win over Midlakes, the Northstars got eight kills and four blocks from Congel, but rested other key players, giving Zach D’Agostino a chance as he finished with 15 assists.
