CENTRAL NEW YORK – Getting a landmark victory amid a tough slate late in the regular season, the East Syracuse Minoa girls volleyball team took on Chittenango last Tuesday night and recorded a four-set victory over the Bears.
Entering the night with a 12-2 record, the Spartans caught Chittenango at a good time, the Bears having lost to undefeated Tully just 24 hours earlier.
What made it more impressive was that ESM lost the first set, 25-22, before controlling the second and third sets and winning them by equal 25-15 margins.
A tight fourth set would go 25-22 in the Spartans’ favor to end the match as Natalie Peterson, with her 27 assists and 10 digs, led the way.
Laura Sitnik had 11 kills, four aces and 14 digs, with Margaret Mading adding 10 kills. Akuat Kuany had five kills and four blocks, with Autumn Stolia getting three kills and Morgan Ransom adding 11 digs.
This good feeling did not carry over into ESM’s rematch against undefeated New Hartford 24 hours later, with those other Spartans prevailing for the second time in January.
Unlike the earlier meeting, which was a New Hartford sweep, ESM took the opening set 25-22, only to drop a close second set 25-21 and see New Hartford get away 25-15 and 25-12 in the next two sets as Elise Courto (13 kills), Taylor Krol (10 kills, six aces, 17 digs) and Emma Freidel (29 assists) led the way.
Able to rebound on Friday, ESM defeated Utica Proctor in four sets, taking the opener 25-19 and, after a rough 25-15 loss in the second, winning the third 25-17 and then surviving a long fourth set 30-28 to end it.
With her 33 assists, Peterson passed it to Mading and Stolia, who each earned 12 kills. Stolia added four blocks as Kuany got seven kills, with Sitnik earning nine digs as she and Lily Talarico had five kills apiece.
Manlius-Pebble Hill had one of its most memorable matches of the season last Monday against McGraw, unable to complete a comeback in a five-set loss to the Eagles.
Having won a tight opening set 5-23, the Trojans saw McGraw take the next two sets 25-17 and 25-21, only to rally and win the fourth 25-22.
Only in the final set did the Eagles put it away in another 25-17 decision, overcoming what Kate Chaffee did for MPH as she got 27 assists, put away 11 kills and earned five aces to go with five digs.
Liv Brudin had a team-best 17 kills, with Maggie Stokes-Rees adding eight kills and six digs. Abby Hinshaw had 21 digs and six assists as Gianna Rinaldi got four kills and 13 digs.
MPH made it back-to-back wins last Wednesday by handling Weedsport in three sets, the Trojans topping the Warriors 25-14, 25-17, 25-18.
Christian Brothers Academy took its turn against undefeated Tully last Thursday night and played a close first set before taking a 25-22 defeat. The Black Knights then won the next two sets 25-18 and 25-21.
