ONONDAGA COUNTY – A single day’s results, small though they might be, can signal something far larger if they are followed up.
The Baldwinsville girls volleyball team exemplifies this point, having suffered back-to-back defeats to Fayetteville-Manlius (in five sets) and Liverpool (in three sets) late in September.
But then, hosting the annual Fall Fling Tournament, B’ville displayed its best form of the season, taking all six sets in Gold division pool play and not stopping there.
In the semifinals, the Bees defeated West Genesee. Then it outlasted Westhill in the championship round by scores of 25-21 and 25-20.
All of this was exciting enough, but B’ville had extra motivation on Thursday because West Genesee was returning to the Baker High School Gym and the Bees remembered the disappointment of its five-set loss to the Wildcats early in September.
And though WG took the opening set of the rematch, the close 25-22 margin only seemed to bring out a higher level in B’ville, who controlled the second set 25-16, dominated the third 25-13 and, by another 25-16 margin, closed it out in the fourth.
On the way to victory, setter Madison MacKaig recorded her 1,000th career assist, a reminder of the steady presence on the back line that has helped the Bees so much.
B’ville’s boys volleyball team was 3-5 going to October, having lost three in a row, but it broke that skid last Monday by defeating Syracuse City in three close sets.
The 25-22, 25-20, 25-20 victory saw the Bees get six aces from Ethan Davenport to go with his 10 kills and three blocks, while Xzavier Vanderstuow also had 10 kills, plus five digs.
Brendan Micho earned five kills and eight assists, with Anthony Hildreth adding four kills and Logan Rodriquez three kills. Nate Mekker dished out 18 assists as Justin Diep earned eight digs.
Facing Liverpool two nights later, B’ville got an even bigger victory, completing a regular-season sweep of the Warriors side it beat in the Sept. 5 season opener.
Having won the opening set 25-20, the Bees slipped in the second, Liverpool taking it 25-20. Then the two sides went back and forth through the third and fourth sets.
However, B’ville got most the important points and won those sets 25-23 and 25-22 to claim the match, Davenport earning 11 kills and Vanderstuow nine kills. Micho, aside from his 12 assists, managed five kills and three aces, Mekker delivering 20 assists and Diep improving to 13 digs
A big week of matches lies ahead, especially for the B’ville girls, who meets Cicero-North Syracuse Tuesday and, on Friday night, gets another chance at payback for an earlier loss, this time at F-M.
The boys volleyball Bees, after appearing in last Saturday’s Penfield Tournament, tests itself Wednesday at Cicero-North Syracuse before hosting Central Square on Friday.
