ONONDAGA COUNTY – Volleyball season is now fully underway in Baldwinsville, with the girls off on yet another championship quest and the boys seeking improvement after a 7-12 campaign a year ago.
Already with a sweep of 2024 state Class B finalist Westhill in the books, the girls Bees appeared Sept. 7 in the Penfield Tournament, then gained a quality road win last Wednesday at Fayetteville-Manlius.
Each of the first two sets went in B’ville’s favor 25-18 and 25-21. And when the Hornets played a strong third set 25-18 to extend it, the Bees went out and crushed F-M 25-12 in the fourth to end it.
Madison MacKaig amassed 22 assists and 14 digs while, up front, Amelia Hahn proved impossible to stop, amassing 18 kills with help from Mallory Offredi’s 10 kills and Avery Davenport’s seven kills. Offredi also got 12 digs to equal Addy Garcia.
Right away, the boys Bees had a chance at signature wins since it faced its two main rivals, Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse, back-to-back and nearly won the first of them.
Against the Warriors, B’ville survived a long, tense opening set to win it 28-26, which allowed it to drop off in the next two sets and stay in the match as Liverpool took them 25-11 and 25-19.
With the fourth set getting away, the Bees displayed its poise and pulled it out 25-23 to take to a final set where, in a race to 15 points, Liverpool won it 15-11.
Still, the back line was strong, Justin Diep getting 23 digs next to 19 assists from Nate Mekker and 12 assists from Chase Johnson, who also gained six kills and two aces.
Michael Naprawa, with eight kills, led a deep and balanced front line. Liam Brogan and Nico D’Elia each got seven kills, with Ryan Levy getting five kills. Mekker also had eight digs.
B’ville would not get as close against C-NS, taking a 25-20, 25-22, 25-16 defeat despite some strong efforts in the first two sets.
Mekker, who equaled Johnson with 10 assists, gained nine kills, with Levy adding eight kills. Diep’s defense included 19 digs as Naparwa got four kills and Nico D’Elia three kills. Dylan Fournier (11 assists), Grady Kennedy (10 assists) and Ryan Leahey (nine kills) led the way for the Northstars.
In its only match this week the B’ville boys challenge reigning two-time state Division II champion Jamesville-DeWitt on Thursday night, this a day after the girls Bees battle Liverpool and before its Saturday appearance in the Cider Challenge at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, a longtime Section II power.
