ONONDAGA COUNTY – With each week and each set of victories, the Bishop Grimes girls volleyball team barrels toward the top seed in the Section III Class D playoffs.
The Cobras made it 10 in a row last Monday night against Cato-Meridian, wasting little time putting together a 25-13, 25-17, 25-9 sweep of the Blue Devils.
Riley Abernethy had her best match of the season, earning 17 kills to go with three blocks. Kayla Duenkel managed 11 kills and three blocks, Elizabeth Corl adding five kills as Ava Christodoulou passed to all of them with 32 assists. Gianna DiNiro and Gabby St. James had seven digs apiece.
A night later, the Cobras were 11-0 after sweeping Bishop Ludden, a dominant 25-9, 25-23, 25-17 romp over the Gaelic Knights that saw nearly half the points a result of Christodoulou’s 35 assists.
Duenkel put away 19 kills, helped by Abernethy getting 13 kills and matching Olivia Vitale’s three aces. St. James and Duenkel had six digs apiece.
Fayetteville-Manlius got through last Tuesday night’s non-league match against Indian River, taking just three sets to put away the Wolves 25-13, 25-16, 25-22.
Much of the match was a show for Kalyna Dannenberg, who earned four aces and put away 17 kills on plays largely set up by Laila Duggal, who earned 32 assists. Larah Schepp got 17 digs, with Dannenberg adding 11 digs and Malana Noble 10 digs as Olivia Tom and Kara Evans had five kills apiece.
Then, facing West Genesee a night later, the Hornets got its second four-set decision over the Wildcats in as many months, taking it 25-9, 25-17, 21-25, 25-19.
Dannenberg not only put up 18 kills, she served up six aces and earned 23 digs. Noble had a season-best effort of 16 kills and nine digs, with Olivia Tom contributing seven kills. Feeding them all, Duggal earned 44 assists and also joined Schepp picking up 13 digs.
Jamesville-DeWitt ran into Central Square last Tuesday night and, falling to 6-6 on the season, took a 25-17, 25-17, 25-21 defeat to the Redhawks.
Alana Bates and Merris Kessler led the Red Rams with just four kills apiece. Ellyana Deng and Lyla Commandeur both got three kills, Commandeur adding three blocks as Lacey Phaneuf recorded 16 assists. Bates (11 digs) and Hannah Trevisani (nine digs) were defensive leaders.
