CENTRAL NEW YORK – Area high school girls volleyball teams tried to work around weather and COVID-19 issues, both of which had interrupted so many winter sports schedules.
East Syracuse Minoa, who entered the week with an 8-2 record, was supposed to take on Whitesboro last Monday night, but it got postponed and moved to Jan. 31, nine days after what is hoped to be their first meeting.
But the Spartans did play Thursday against Rome Free Academy and, with a late comeback, pulled off a five-set victory over the Black Knights.
They traded 25-22 wins in the first two sets, ESM going first and RFA answering. Then the Black Knights won the third set 25-19 to grab the advantage in the match.
However, the Spartans rolled through the fourth set 25-14 and was just as good in the final set, taking the match 25-13 as Natalie Peterson, with her 29 assists, dished it out to several teammates.
Laura Sitnik put up 12 kills and five aces, adding 17 digs on the defensive side to nearly match Morgan Ransom’s total of 18 digs.
Akut Kuany gained eight kills, two blocks and two aces. Margaret Mading and Emily Murnane had seven kills apiece as Mading got two blocks and Murnane five digs. Skylar Merkel had seven digs and Peterson had six digs.
Christian Brothers Academy returned to the court Friday night to face Utica Proctor, and after dropping the first set 25-19, the Brothes won the next three sets over the Raiders 25-17, 25-22 and 25-19.
Winning that close third set proved crucial as Mia Merola served up six aces and Molly Niedzwicki had four aces. Makenna Schultz, Grace Catalano and Madeline Massa had four kills apiece as Schultz earned five assists. Catalano and Merola each had six digs.
A day later, CBA swept Port Byron 25-19, 25-22, 25-16, seeing Catalano amass nine aces and nine kills as Georgia Brown put up 16 assists, matching Anna Prugger with three aces as Nora Kilmartin added three kills.
Manlius-Pebble Hill won its opening set against DeRuyter last Wednesday night, the Trojans prevailing 25-23, only to have the Rockets win a close second set 25-20 and then roll 25-9 and 25-13 through the third and fourth sets.
Against Faith Heritage one night later, MPH won the second set 25-17 after dropping the opener 25-16. A tense third set went 25-23 in the Saints’ favor as it won again 25-17 in the fourth to close it out, led by Madi D’Elia’s 13 kills, Anna Dow’s 19 assists and seven kills, six aces and 12 digs from Abby Henderson.
Then, in Saturday’s match against Weedsport, MPH won a three-set sweep, taking the first two sets 25-19 and 25-15 before closing out the Warriors in a close third set 29-27.
