ONONDAGA COUNTY – Only at the end did the Cicero-North Syracuse boys volleyball team get caught by anyone in the local ranks – at the worst time possible.
In a five-set epic, the top-seeded Northstars fell to no. 2 seed Fayetteville-Manlius in Saturday’s Section III Division I championship match, the Hornets earning its first sectional title since 1994.
When they had met twice in the regular season, C-NS had swept both matches. And when the opening set of the final went 25-18 in the Northstars’ favor, it appeared, at least at the outset, that nothing had changed.
Then came the second set, one that will live long in both teams’ memories for very different reasons.
Up by a slim margin, C-NS had a set point to take a two-set advantage, but did not convert. Then it had another, and another, and still more to follow.
No matter how many times it tried, though, the Northstars could not close it out, five times hitting serves into the net. Finally, at 32-32, F-M gained the serve and, with a lone set point, was able to earn it.
The effect of that set was delayed somewhat by C-NS winning the third 25-21. And the fourth set proved close, too, but again within sight of the prize, the Northstars could not grab it.
Instead, taking that set 25-23, F-M pushed it to a final set, a race to 15 that it had experienced in the previous round – and would thrive in, getting in front and hanging on to win the match 15-12.
To lead the victorious Hornets, Connor Sugar had 43 assists and Chris Cleary had 21 kills, adding eight digs as Kieran Egan had nine kills, Max Danaher seven kills and Mike McAndrew six kills.
For the second time in as many seasons, a C-NS season ended at Liverpool, the Warriors having swept the Northstars in the 2021 final.
A rematch nearly happened. With only three teams making the sectional tournament, C-NS had a bye straight into the finals, meaning that it had to wait and see what happened Thursday when Liverpool collided with F-M.
It was closely fought for four sets. The Hornets pulled out a 25-23 decision in the first and 25-22 decision in the second, but the Warriors battled back.
Nearly swept, Liverpool pulled out the third set 25-22 and, on the brink of defeat, got the fourth set 26-24, only to have F-M sprint out in front during the final-set race to 15 and claim it 15-5.
Anthony Pezzino finished with 25 kills, helped by Jack DeForge, who put together 15 kills and 19 assists to go with six digs as Kellen Conway earned 19 assists. Sean Frawley had six kills as Shah Sahak had eight digs and Aiden Hunter six digs.
Cleary, hinting as his heroics later in the week against C-NS, piled up 26 kills, four aces, nine digs and three blocks, while Danaher, McAndrew and Egan had nine kills apiece, Sugar getting 55 assists.
