CENTRAL NEW YORK – For an entire season, the Cazenovia girls volleyball team had worked toward exactly what it was going to face Saturday at nearby Chittenango High School.

With the Section III Class C championship at stake, the Lakers would try and dethrone its namesakes from Skaneateles, but never really get too close in a three-set defeat.

Cazenovia earned this chance by prevailing last Tuesday in the sectional semifinal against no. 3 seed Phoenix at Buckley Gym, taking just three sets to put away the Firebirds.

The opening set was important. Phoenix had its share of runs, but by a 25-22 margin the Lakers seized the early lead, then blitzed through the second set 25-7.

A long third set followed, the Firebirds trying to extend the match, but Cazenovia breaking a 24-24 tie and then earning match point to win 26-24 and advance.

Maren Smith had a tremendous all-around effort, earning 15 kills and adding 14 digs, three aces and three blocks, while Ashley Lordon finished with six kills.

Aside from her four kills, Zoe McLean matched Smith with 14 digs, as did Olivia Prykl, as Becca Ziemba earned 16 assists and Lucy Bliss had 10 assists, to go with eight digs.

Four days later, Cazenovia took another shot at a Skaneateles side it had not earned a set against in their regular-season encounters on Sept. 16 and Oct. 13.

The first six points of the match went to Skaneateles, and with the likes of Ayla Pas’cal, Kate Raddant and Maddy and Alice Bender in great form, it ended 25-14.

When it came to the second set, it got even more lopsided. Dominant serving from junior Maggie Lootens led to a string of points and a big margin that only grew until Skaneateles had the second set 25-8.

Cazenovia did play a bit better in the third set, but that only delayed things a bit. Skaneateles closed out the sweep 25-14 and, by doing so, advanced to this weekend’s regional round.

Smith finished with five kills, three blocks and eight digs. Bliss and Ziemba each got three assists as Olivia Prykl got seven digs, with Ziemba and Corrine Albicker earning six digs apiece.

Skaneateles had plenty of standouts, from Maddy Bender, who had 36 assists, to Alice Bender, who got 15 digs. Ayla Pa’scal led the front line with 18 kills and three blocks, Kate Raddant adding 11 kills as Bella Shoenborn got five kills, Maggie Lootens had five aces and Katie Combs had nine digs.

Finishing at 14-4 overall, Cazenovia will see four seniors – Smith, McLean, Lordaon and Albicker – graduate, with Ziemba, Bliss, Prykl, Mya Skeele and Anna Bjork among the many returnees for 2023.