ONONDAGA COUNTY – In order to keep itself undefeated on Sept. 16, the Skaneateles girls volleyball team had to survive a five-set ordeal with Oswego before toppling the Buccaneers.

Twice, Oswego went in front, taking the first set 25-19 and the third set 25-22. Both times, the Lakers got back even, winning the second 25-20 and dominating the fourth 25-14.

In a tough final set, Skaneateles pulled it out 15-12, Ayla Pas’cal notching 21 kills and six blocks. Maggie Lootens (13 kills, 12 digs) and Ellie Walsh (10 kills, 14 digs) both had double-doubles as Delaney Fish had 26 assists, Cydney Pitman 17 assists and Alyssa Franciamone put up 26 digs

Then it was Skaneateles against Solvay last Tuesday night, and it only took three sets for the Lakers to put away the Bearcats 25-16, 25-13, 25-23.

Finnly Pas’cal’s six aces set the night’s tone. Ayla Pas’cal chimed in with four aces as she got six kills, with Fish earning seven assists and Pitman five assists. Solvay was led by Hannah Cintron’s six assists and six digs.

Just before meeting Skaneateles, Solvay swept Corcoran 25-21, 25-11, 25-19. Ashlyn Smorol had four kills, with Victoria Zappala adding three kills. Riley Gosha had seven assists and Citron got eight digs, Hannah Haasse adding seven digs.

When the Lakers turned its attention to rival Marcellus on Friday night, it rolled through the first set 25-16 and got all the key points in the next two sets to take them by equal 25-23 margins for the sweep.

Chloe Kutruff had 22 assists for the Mustangs, passing it to Bryn Goldsworthy, who had eight kills, along with Elle DeMarle (seven kills) and Harper Camp (six kills). Dorothy McMahon finished with 15 digs.

That same night, Solvay lost in three sets to Cazenovia 25-10, 26-24, 25-13. Only the second set proved close as Haase got nine digs, Gianna D’Eredita had eight digs and Rachel Willsey added seven digs.

Westhill nearly got three different shutouts in last Monday’s 25-6, 25-5, 25-3 sweep of Phoenix, with Sydney Medeiros earning seven aces and Jocelyn Caputo five aces.

Eva Tarolli had 10 kills, with Alison Lancette getting four kills and Caputo five kills. Sophia Johnson earned 11 assists and Emmie Sistack had eight assists to help primary setter Ava Batty rest most of the night.

Another sweep followed on Wednesday, the Warriors putting away Mexico 25-11, 25-14, 25-5. Johnson’s six aces and Baty’s 12 assists were part of a match where Tarolli and Lancette each had six kills and Sofia Dimovski added five kills. Working up front, Baty got four kills as Alice Bender had six digs.

All of this led to Friday’s 25-23,27-25, 25-17 victory over Cicero-North Syracuse where, again, Westhill proved it had the poise and staying power to defeat a large-school opponent.
Tarolli and Lancette both had eight kills and combined for five blocks. Dimovski chimed in with six kills as Bender earned 20 digs next to Baty’s 23 assists.