CENTRAL NEW YORK – Following a few days to relax and regroup, the Jamesville-DeWitt boys volleyball teams found it quite hospitable when they returned to the court.
In last Thursday’s match against East Syracuse Minoa, whom it swept back on Sept. 12, the Red Rams again needed just three sets to put away the Spartans.
Still, the opening set proved crucial, ESM nearly getting in front but J-D pulling it out 26-24 on the way to claiming the next two sets by 25-18 and 25-15 margins.
Luke McQuaid paced the Rams’ front line, earning 11 kills and five digs. Aaron Ko had eight kills, Phoenix McBride adding seven kills, Avery Kielbasinski four kills and Cam Moynihan three kills in front of Tim Cooper, who earned 30 assists.
Though it lost, the Spartans still had Tyler Quarry earn 10 kills and Austin Betts add six kills. Jacob McGuigan and Aaron Sullivan had four kills apiece as Donovan Randall finished with 24 assists.
ESM had, the night before, beat Syracuse City in four sets, easily taking the opener 25-18 but needing to get through a 27-25 battle in the second set to move further ahead.
After dropping the third set 25-21, the Spartans won by that same margin in the fourth to close it out, improving its overall record to 8-4 and bringing some momentum into its rematch with J-D.
Randall augmented his 37 assists with 10 digs and five kills. Balanced up front, ESM had 13 kills from Quarry, 12 kills from Sullivan and 11 kills and four blocks from Betts, McGuigan adding seven kills and Tommy Clonan six assists to go with 12 digs.
Idle early in the week, Fayetteville-Manlius returned to action last Thursday against Liverpool and, after winning the first set 25-19, found itself in a long second set against the Warriors.
Withstanding several set point, the Hornets won that set 28-16 and claimed another 25-19 decision in the third for the sweep as Connor Sugar finished the night with 26 assists.
Mike McAndrew put up a team-best nine kills, adding three aces. Chris Cleary had eight kills and four digs, Charles Addonizio adding six kills as Sean Kellish (six digs) and Jared Duggal (five digs) led the defense.
Two days later, F-M faced Oswego, and it proved quite a good match – but the Hornets, by the smallest possible margin were able to edge the Buccaneers in five sets.
A long first set went 30-28 in Oswego’s favor. Unfazed by this, F-M pulled out close 25-21 and 25-23 sets to move out in front, only to have the Bucs prolong the match by taking the fourth 25-22.
And the final set went well beyond the 15-point limit. After a series of match points were denied, F-M, at 17-17, broke the tie and then served it out 19-17.
Sugar set a new career mark with 63 assists, and Cleary’s 25 kills was another career high. Charlie Schroeder stepped up and got 15 kills, with Addonizio earning 13 kills and McAndrew adding 11 kills. Kellish led the defense with 17 kills, though Addonizio (14 digs) and Duggal (12 digs) were close behind.
This happened as J-D met Living Word Academy and lost the first set 25-20, the first time it had trailed anyone all season. But after winning the second 25-21, the Rams dominated the third set 25-11 and closed it out 25-20 in the fourth.
Cooper’s 40 assists mostly went to McQuaid, who piled up 18 kills. Kielbasinski put together eight kills, seven digs, four assists and three blocks as Ko got 11 kills and two blocks. McBride earned nine kills and Moynihan had five kills.
