CENTRAL NEW YORK – Once again, girls volleyball teams at East Syracuse Minoa, Christian Brothers Academy and Manlius Pebble Hill will compete in the winter toward possible Section III honors.

ESM, who went 9-9 a season ago, got off to an ideal start last Monday night at Utica Proctor, taking just three sets to put away the Raiders 25-19, 25-10, 25-22.

Only the third set proved close as Brooke Kirkpatrick led the way, earning five aces, 13 assists and six digs, with Leah Rehm contributing 11 digs on the defensive side and Francesca Cambareri also earning five aces.

Anela Mesic, with five kills, paced the Spartans’ front line. Morgan Palmer, Erin Murnane and Katelyn Davis had three kills apiece, with Davis and Akuot Kuany each putting up a pair of blocks.

Camden arrived Thursday night for ESM’s home opener, and things proved quite different for the Spartans, who were on even terms yet lost in four sets to the Blue Devils.

A 25-16 second-set win was negated by Camden winning the first, third and fourth sets by equal 25-23 margins, claiming most of the important points.

Rehm still had 25 assists as Kirkpatrick put together 11 assists and 36 digs. Kuany paced the front line with 12 kills, helped by Camille Mitchell’s seven kills. Murnane had six kills, Davis five kills and Palmer four kills.

CBA could not have asked for a tougher opening assignment, facing Tully last Wednesday night, yet it was the Brothers nearly scoring a rare upset against the Black Knights.

A close 26-24 defeat in the opening set did not discourage CBA, who dominated the second set 25-14 and had numerous opportunities to win the third, set, too, only to have Tully take it 28-26.
Again the Brothers got even, 25-19, in the fourth, and the final set would have multiple match points before the Black Knights pulled it out 16-14.

Carleigh Morgia gave CBA 21 kills, five aces and 11 digs. Julie Zdep had 11 kills and 15 digs, while Neveah Bacheyie got eight kills. Josie Lachut earned 41 assists and Josie DePalma had 29 digs.

Inspired by this effort, the Brothers got into the win column Thursday, handling Weedsport 25-23, 25-17, 25-11. Only the first set proved close as Morgia put away 15 kills, adding 12 digs. DePalma had 19 digs and Lachut dished out 26 assists, with Bacheyie getting five kills and three blocks. Zdep added four kills.

MPH had its opener last Tuesday against Port Byron snowed out, but would hope to get started a week later against Fabius-Pompey.