EAST SYRACUSE – While there were any number of ways the East Syracuse Minoa girls volleyball team’s season could end, the way it did will linger for a long time.
The no. 2 seed Spartans were on the brink of sweeping no. 3 seed Whitesboro in Wednesday’s Section III Class A semifinal, only to see the match prolonged to five sets and the Warriors able to pull it out.
These teams had met twice in January, ESM prevailing both times in four sets. And for a long while, their third encounter looked to be one that wouldn’t last as long.
A close opening set featured numerous momentum shifts before the Spartans took it 25-23, carrying that momentum over into the second, which it won by a more comfortable 25-17 margin.
But it was the third set that would haunt ESM as it inched close to a sweep, only a couple of more points needed. Whitesboro prolonged the set, though, grabbed the serve and then closed it out 27-25.
A tight fourth set would see the Warriors win again, 25-20, and take it to a fifth, where again it would go back and forth, each side battling hard for a spot in the finals against undefeated New Hartford.
Several match points were thwarted until, at 27-27, it was the Warriors picking up the serve and then finally converting a match point to end out the match 29-27.
Autumn Stolia led the Spartans’ front line with 18 kills and eight blocks. Margaret Mading had 14 kills, with Laura Sitnik getting nine kills and Akuat Kuany earning eight kills. Lily Talarico added five kills as Natalie Peterson earned 45 assists and Morgan Ransom 11 digs, plus three aces.
Whitesboro, to win, saw Tessa Nash earn 41 assists, her passes mostly going to Kyle DeCarr, who had 25 kills and six aces. Eva Quackenbush (eight kills) and Riley Colis (six kills, four aces) helped on the front line as Abigail Lawler had 25 digs and Olivia MacArthur 21 digs. Tara Williams got seven aces and 12 digs.
