CENTRAL NEW YORK – Within the course of a single week the Cazenovia girls volleyball team would get an up-close look at how strong the top two teams in the Onondaga High School League Liberty National division were.
Phoenix was first in Monday night’s match, demonstrating that its 6-2 record was not a fluke by outlasting the Lakers in four sets.
Having dropped a close opener 25-23, Cazenovia got even with an impressive 25-15 win in the second set. However, Phoenix regained control and won the next two sets by 25-18 and 25-16 margins.
Lucy Bliss stood out with 26 assists and 18 digs. Alyssa Wardell and Olivia Pirkl both got 14 kills to lead the Lakers’ front line, Pirkl adding 15 digs as Elizabeth Enigk contributed eight digs and Caitee Fenton seven digs.
To lead Phoenix, Miley Esposito had 15 kills and 17 digs, with Maura Catanzano adding eight kills and 10 digs. Rose Mullin had 11 digs and Olivia Edwards nine digs to go with her 28 assists and three aces. Karlee Bradley managed seven kills.
Then it was Cazenovia against first-place Homer on Thursday night, and this one would drag out to five sets before the Trojans were able to edge past the Lakers.
This battle involved two different Cazenovia comebacks. First the Lakers tore through the second set 25-14 after losing the opener 25-17, and a 25-23 defeat in the third was followed by a 25-20 win in the fourth.
And in the final-set race, both sides had multiple match points before Homer, at 16-16, got back the serve and finally won it 18-16/But it didn’t take away from the Lakers’ high level of play, especially on defense.
Bliss amassed 35 digs to go with her 27 assists. Pirkl got 33 digs along with 13 kills as Fenton earned 23 digs and Sophie Wilmot contributed 25 digs. Mackenzie Warman chimed in with 15 digs. Wardell’s front-line work included 11 kills and 10 blocks.
Homer got 37 assists from Danica Smith, while Ella Spanbauer and Maria Partis both finished with 25 digs as Spanbauer paced the Trojans with 14 kills.
Getting away from all this, Cazenovia got back in the win column during Saturday’s Homecoming festivities, taking on Class D front-runner Hamilton and, after a long second set, taking over the rest of the way to beat the Emerald Knights.
Key to the 25-12, 26-28, 25-15, 25-12 decision for the Lakers was Bliss again doing it all on the back line from 29 assists to 22 digs. Pirkl had 12 kills and 11 digs, with Wardell getting nine kills and 10 blocks as Fenton managed 13 digs and McKenna Weismore added six digs.
Two more matches for the Lakers follow early next week with trips Monday to Solvay and Wednesday to Marcellus.
