ONONDAGA COUNTY – After it raced to a 6-0 start, the West Genesee girls volleyball team found things a lot more challenging as September turned into October.
A nine-day stretch saw the Wildcats drop its first match of the season to Fayetteville-Manlius, lose to Baldwinsville in the semifinals of the Bees’ Fall Fling Tournament and then see two different leads get away in a five-set defeat to Liverpool before dropping a rematch with B’ville and then face more trouble before ending its skid.
In both the first and third sets against Liverpool, WG ran away, by 25-13 and 25-11 margins, but the Warriors stayed alive by taking the second 25-20 and, in the fourth set, roll 25-18 before a final-set 15-10 decision.
Ella Bickering, with 12 kills, led a front line where Cami Zajac and Claire DeVore each earn 10 kills, Devore adding five blocks. Alaina Dudzinski added seven blocks as Sonya Dunham had 26 assists and Sidney Hamilton 12 assists, Zajac managing 10 digs.
B’ville was next and, remembering the five-set loss it took to WG back in September, defended its home court by prevailing in four sets this time around.
It was the Wildcats winning the opener 25-22, but from there the Bees were in full control, taking both the second and fourth sets by 25-16 margins with a 25-13 third set in between.
Dunham’s 14 assists largely went to DeVore, who earned 12 kills. Bickering and Zajac had six kills apiece, Zajac adding nine digs as Barry earned 10 digs and Dunham six digs.
Given all that was happening on and off the court, it only made Friday night’s exciting five-set victory over Cicero-North Syracuse that much sweeter on the Wildcats’ part.
A strong first set by WG produced a 25-15 win, but the Northstars, who had knocked off then-unbeaten Fayetteville-Manlius earlier in the week, claimed the second set 25-18 and pulled out the third 25-22.
Pushed to the brink several times in the fourth set, the Wildcats did not break, instead winning that set 28-26 and taking all the momentum to the final set, where it put away C-NS 15-8.
Dunham led her side with 20 assists and 16 digs. Hamilton added six assists as Barry got 10 digs and three assists. Zajac had eight digs along with three kills and three assists.
DeVore set the pace up front, earning 14 kills plus nine digs. Bickering had eight kills and six digs, while Norah Emery stepped up with six kills and Lillianna Iacampo had four kills.
While all this was going on, Bishop Ludden routed Syracuse OnTech 25-5, 25-14, 25-18 last Monday night, but then lost in four sets to Living Word Academy as the Gaelic Knights won the opener 25-23, but lost the next three sets to the Lions 25-10, 25-14 and 25-22.
Against the Lions, Bridget Dunham finished with seven kills and eight digs, with Natalie Testa getting 10 assists. Tiz’Ariah Blue and Ava Bush each earned 10 digs and Grace Hilton picked up nine digs.
