CENTRAL NEW YORK – Well-rested and ready to make a championship push, the Christian Brothers Academy girls volleyball team quickly resumed its winning form early in 2024.
The Brothers took a 6-1 record into last Wednesday’s match against 6-2 Fabius-Pompey, and proceeded to sweep the Falcons in three sets.
A 25-21 opening set carried over into the second, which CBA won big, 25-11. F-P nearly extended the match in the third set, but at 24-24 the Brothers gained back the serve and earned match point for 26-24.
Many of Josie Lachut’s 20 assists went to Carleigh Morgia, who amassed 15 kills to go with 14 digs. Josie DePalma also had 14 digs, with Julie Zdep adding seven digs as Neveah Bacheyie gained three kills and two blocks.
That same night, Manlius Pebble Hill almost improved upon its 1-7 record at Port Byron, only to take a five-set defeat to the Panthers.
Winless at 0-8 going into the match, Port Byron, who won the opening set 25-21, did not get discouraged when the Trojans claimed the next two sets by 25-20 and 25-15 margins and got to brink of winning the match in the fourth.
Instead, the Panthers pulled out that set 25-23 and then held off MPH 15-11 in a final-set race to 15 points. Marlena Doerle led Port Byron with 10 assists and 19 digs.
Back home Thursday to face Weedsport, MPH again went to five sets and again had to settle for a defeat as a big late comeback was thwarted.
Weedsport took the first two sets 25-18 and 25-20, and were on the brink of a sweep before the Trojans, at 25-25 in the third, gained the serve, won that set 27-25 and then won the fourth 25-20. A tight final set would see MPH drop a 15-13 decision and see its overall record dip to 1-5.
It was on Thursday that East Syracuse Minoa returned with a home match against Holland Patent, looking to improve upon its 5-3 record built in November and December.
That didn’t prove too difficult, the Spartans sweeping the Golden Knights 25-14, 25-16, 25-6. Brooke Kirkpatrick notched 10 aces to go with 17 assists as Erin Murnane added six aces. Leah Rehm had nine digs as, up front, Akuot Kuany had 10 kills and three blocks, Camille Mitchell adding five kills.
