CENTRAL NEW YORK – Now the Bishop Grimes girls volleyball team has the real possibility of an unbeaten regular season within its reach.
Up against a quality opponent in 11-4 Jordan-Elbridge Tuesday night, the Cobras took charge from the outset and, aside from the closeness of the third set, never lost control on the way to sweeping the Eagles 25-18, 25-15, 25-22.
Grimes moved to 12-0 behind Ava Christodoulou’s 33 assists, the passes often going to Kayla Duenkel, who had 17 kills, and Riley Abernethy, who got 10 kills.
Elizabeth Corl earned six kills and Olivia Vitale got five kills, Corl and Duenkel both getting eight digs as Abernethy led with 10 digs and Gianna DiNiro equaled Christodoulou’s six digs.
Onondaga was next on Thursday night and Grimes swept the Tigers 25-21, 25-12, 25-11 to make it 13 in a row, only pushed in the opening set as Duenkel gained 10 kills and three aces, Abernethy adding seven kills. Corl and Olivia Vitale both had four kills and Christodoulou managed 25 assists along with five aces.
Fayetteville-Manlius offered a challenge to unbeaten, defending sectional Class AAA champion Baldwinsville Tuesday night and lost in four sets to the Bees, just as it had done at home in its Sept. 11 season opener.
Having lost the first two sets 25-22 and 25-17, the Hornets pulled out the third 25-22 and fought hard in the fourth set, too, before a 25-21 defeat ended the match.
Kalyna Dannenberg collected 16 kills and 22 digs, Malana Noble adding 15 kills and 12 digs. Olivia Tom added seven kills and six blocks, with Kara Evans getting five kills as Laila Duggal amassed 43 assists to go with 11 digs.
But F-M would turn it around Thursday against Cicero-North Syracuse, splitting the first two sets and then taking the third before keeping the Northstars from taking the match to five in a 25-16, 26-28, 25-19, 26-24 decision.
Four players recorded at least 20 digs, including Duggal, who had 20 to go with her 47 assists, and Dannenberg, who augmented her 24 kills with 25 digs.
Noble led with 27 digs, adding 12 kills as Lara Schepp stepped up with 24 digs. Madeline Housel finished with 12 digs, with Tom’s 11 kills and five blocks ably complementing Dannenberg and Noble up front.
Jamesville-DeWitt moved back above the .500 mark (7-6) Tuesday night with its 25-20, 25-19, 25-12 win over the Corcoran Cougars.
Ellyana Deng managed four aces, with Lacey Phaneuf recording 17 assists and Alana Bates adding eight digs. Merris Kessler and Aaliyah Anderson led the front line with six kills apiece, with Riley Tuite and Hannah Trevisani each earning six digs.
Then the Red Rams swept Nottingham 25-12, 27-25, 25-15 on Thursday night, only pushed in the second set. Phaneuf remained steady with 18 assists, Deng producing six kills just ahead of Anderson’s five kills and Quinn Pfister’s four kills. Bates got nine digs, Phaneuf eight digs and Tuite seven digs.
Another win over another city foe came with Saturday’s 25-4, 25-6, 25-12 win over PSLA-Fowler that included 12 aces from Phaneuf and six aces from Yeva Balavan. Phaneuf added seven assists as Deng produced a team-best four kills.
