CENTRAL NEW YORK – Despite a serious amount of late-season struggles, the Chittenango girls volleyball team still carried the no. 3 seed into the Section III Class B playoffs and a belief that it could get all the way to the top again.
Doing so would require the Bears, in Friday night’s sectional quarterfinal, to conquer a no. 6 seed from Vernon-Verona-Sherrill that had survived a tense five-set battle with South Jefferson in the opening round.
It didn’t turn out stressful at all.
A 25-14 opening set got Chittenango rolling, and then it routed the Red Devils 25-8 in the second set before a 25-15 third set got the Bears into a semifinal early next week against no. 2 seed Christian Brothers Academy, the winner to get Oneida (who knocked off top seed Canastota) or Clinton in Saturday’s final in Watertown.
Alex Sylstra led the way against VVS, accumulating 14 assists, 12 digs, four kills and two aces. Sydney Martin helped on the back line with nine assists.
Julia Spencer produced a team-best 12 kills. Ally Smith had seven kills and 13 digs, with Stephanie Huckabee managing six kills and 10 digs and Jadyn Seguin earning nine digs.
As this went on, the Chittenango boys volleyball team kept accumulating three-set sweeps, getting its 10th in a row last Tuesday night when it put away Canastota.
Though closer than some other teams, Canastota still lost 25-16, 25-18, 25-21, to a Bears side led this time on the back line by Logan Bronner, who had 21 assists in the role Cole Thomas usually occupies.
Jackson Blaszkow, putting away 11 kills, led a well-balanced Chittenango front line. Quinton Hilliker finished with eight kills, Ryan Thousand adding six kills as, defensively, Thousand and Blaszkow each had 13 digs, Bronner and Andrew Uryniak both picking up 10 digs.
An 11th consecutive win, and 11th consecutive sweep, was achieved Thursday night against visiting Rome Free Academy, the Bears putting away the Black Knights 25-13, 25-21, 25-22.
RFA’s close play in the second and third sets offered close competition in which Chittenango still flourished, with Thomas back in the lineup and producing 25 assists to go with eight digs and three kills.
Rodger Mulholland was back, too, and his four aces complemented a total of five kills that Kai Streeter matched. But it was Hilliker leading the front line with 11 kills and two blocks, while Micah Granata gained 17 digs. Streeer got 13 kills, Mulholland 11 digs and Uryniak 12 digs.
