CENTRAL NEW YORK – Continuing its stellar play, the Christian Brothers Academy girls volleyball team is in the midst of a championship push that would include a highly-anticipated showdown with Chittenango last Friday night.
Battling its way to the top of the league standings, the Brother beat the Bears in four sets, taking quick command when it won the opening set 25-19 and then dominating the second set 25-15.
Even when Chittenango won the third set 25-19, CBA was able to turn around and, by that same margin, close out the match, led by Josie DePalma, who served up eight aces to go with her 17 digs.
Josie Lachut got 30 assists, the passes mostly going to Carleah Morgia, who had 15 kills, and Neveah Bacheyie, who got 10 kills. Julie Zdep added six kills to go with 10 digs, Morgia picking up 12 digs and Abby Uryniak stepping up for three aces.
The match with the Bears was the Brothers’ third in four nights, with the previous two impressive routs.
Against Faith Heritage last Tuesday, CBA ignored the Saints’ solid 6-4 mark and, in three sets, prevailed 25-9 and 25-12 in the last two sets after taking a closely fought opener 25-21.
Morgia finished with 11 kills and Zdep seven kills in front of Lachut, who had 15 assists. DePalma had nine digs as Bacheyie had four kills and Abby Uryniak three kills.
Then, against Weedsport a night before the Chittenango clash, CBA won in three sets 25-18, 25-19, 25-12. Even with Morgia’s 12 kills, it was Lachut’s 20 assists and DePalma’s 20 digs that led the way, Becheyie adding six kills and Zdep four kills.
East Syracuse Minoa was doing well, too, at least early in the week as it improved to 7-3 on the season last Monday night with a four-set victory over Oneida.
Having lost the opening set 25-22, the Spartans evened it 25-19 in the second, grabbed the lead by winning the third 25-17 and then remained steady in the fourth, knocking off the Express 25-20.
Akuot Kuany got nearly a set full of points from her 20 kills, helped by Camille Mitchell, who had 10 kills. Katelyn Davis had five kills and Anela Mesic four kills as Brooke Kirkpatrick (22 assists) and Kristina Levkovich (13 assists) ably split back-line duties. Erin Murnane led the defense with nine digs ahead of Kirkpatrick’s eight digs and Francesca Cambareri’s seven digs.
But when ESM met 10-1 New Hartford two nights later, those other Spartans would prevail 25-19, 25-23, 25-22, grabbing every important point late in the second and third sets for the sweep.
Kirkpatrick and Levkovich each managed 14 assists, their passes often going to Kuany, who amassed 15 kills. No other ESM player had more than the four kills from Mitchell and Davis as Rehm managed 11 digs. Elise Courto (18 kills, 10 digs) and Abby O’Connor (29 assists, 10 digs) paced New Hartford.
