ONONDAGA COUNTY – It appeared that almost anything the Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool boys volleyball teams did after their epochal five-set battle on Sept. 21 would pale in comparison.
A week later, though, the Northstars found itself in two more five-set battles and lost both of them, not quite able to match the comeback it pulled off against the Warriors.
C-NS was first upended at Fayetteville-Manlius by a Hornets team that entered the night with a modest 4-3 record. F-M got all of the important points in the first two sets as it won by scores of 25-22 and 25-21.
The Northstars pulled out a tense third set 25-22 and carrying that momentum over into a 25-14 romp in the fourth. Somehow, F-M regrouped and, in the final-set race to 15 points, went out in front early and stayed here, ultimately winning 15-8
This happened despite Robbie Siechen’s 45 assists. Gabe LaRobardiere had 18 kills, with Carter King getting 12 kills and Joe Seliger adding 10 kills.
Also earning 10 kills, Andrew Li paced a well-balanced Hornets front line as Chris Cleary had nine kills and Davin Woolridge added six kills. Jaden Duggal dished out 28 assists, adding three blocks, with James Addonizio earning 10 digs.
Against Jamesville-DeWitt, C-NS again lost the first two sets, by 25-20 and 25-22 margins. Again it fought back, dominating the third set 25-12 and holding on 25-21 in the fourth.
Both sides had chances in the final set, but it was J-D pulling it out 17-15, though LaRobardiere had 16 kills, King 14 kills, Reece Congel 12 kills and Peter Gill eight kills in front of Siechen, who got 51 assists.
It all provided a point of comparison as first Liverpool took the measure of J-D, who was off to a 6-0 start. The Warriors swept the Red Rams, taking the first set 25-20 and then winning the next two sets by larger margins of 25-17 and 25-11.
To lead the Warriors, Elliott DeForge pounded seven aces and six kills, with Anthony Pezzino earning 11 kills as Nolan Feidt got 19 assists and Jackson Furr gained 12 digs.
Liverpool had returned to action a night earlier, against Living Word Academy, and steadily put away the Lions in a 25-15, 25-20, 25-10 sweep.
Pezzino had 12 kills and four digs. Jacob Works got five kills and three blocks, while DeForge had three kills. Feidt earned 20 assists and Furr amassed 16 digs, with Joe Sacco adding eight digs.
J-D’s Aidan Bates had seven assists and three kills, with Aaron Ko getting a team-best five kills and four digs. Ty Parker had four kills and Avery Tyson three kills.
Going from there, Liverpool roared past East Syracuse Minoa 25-16, 25-14, 25-13 on Wednesday, with Feidt’s 29 assists mostly going to DeForge, who had 14 kills, and Pezzino, who got 10 kills. Both DeForge and Pezzino managed six digs as Works added six kills and Furr had 12 digs.
