CENTRAL NEW YORK – Now all of the area’s winter high school girls volleyball teams are underway, with Christian Brothers Academy setting a strong pace.
Having nearly upset Tully on Nov. 29, the Brothers followed up with victories that included last Tuesday night’s 25-17, 25-19, 25-12 sweep over Utica Proctor.
Josie Lachut, earning 21 assists, passed it to a deep, diverse front line. Carleigh Morgia had nine kills, with Julie Zdep getting eight kills and Neveah Bacheyie seven kills and three blocks. Defensively, Josie DePalma had 10 digs and Zdep added seven digs.
Then CBA handled Pulaski 25-16, 25-10, 25-18 on Thursday night, with Bacheyie and Morgia earning seven kills apiece. Zdep put away five kills and Kendall Donegal had four kills, with Lachut earning 17 assists and Morgia adding nine digs.
Back on Monday night, East Syracuse Minoa faced New Hartford in the latest Spartans clash, and lost in four sets.
A 25-15 opening set put New Hartford in charge, but it was the close second set that did the most damage. ESM nearly got even, but lost that set in a 25-23 decision.
Thus, though it won a tight third set 25-23 to prolong the match, ESM was routed 25-12 in the fourth, New Hartford getting 15 kills and 16 digs from Elise Courto along with 12 kills from Keegan Matthews and 34 assists from Abby O’Connor.
On ESM’s side, Akout Kuany had 13 kills and three blocks. Erin Murnane and Morgan Palmer had six kills apiece, Camille Mitchell adding five kills as Brooke Kirkpatrick got 28 assists. Leah Rehm led the defense with 29 digs, with help from Murnane (14 digs), Anela Mesic and Francesca Cambareri (12 digs each). Katelyn Davis managed four aces.
When the Spartans had its own match with Tully Thursday night, though, it made a long-awaited breakthrough against the Black Knights.
A long, close first set went 29-27 in ESM’s favor, and it proceeded to beat Tully 25-22 and 25-20 in the next two sets, seemingly earning every late point.
Kirkpatrick, with 11 assists, and Rehm, with 12 digs, worked the back line, with Cambareri adding six digs and three aces. Kuany’s seven kills led a deep, balanced front line, Mitchell earning six kills and Palmer notching four kills.
This happened after Manlius Pebble Hill made its season debut last Tuesday against Fabius-Pompey, with the Trojans taking a 25-11, 25-15, 25-18 defeat to the Falcons.
MPH’s first set victory was a close one against Faith Heritage on Thursday, claimed 28-26. But the Saints won the opener 25-18 and dominated the last two sets 25-10 and 25-5, led by Kierra Burdick’s nine aces and Brynna Burdick’s double-double of 11 assists and 14 digs.
