CENTRAL NEW YORK – With two different area high school girls volleyball teams holding top seeds for the Section III playoffs, getting through their first post-season tests would not prove too stressful.
Westhill, defending the sectional Class B title as the top seed, got it going Monday with a quick sweep of no. 8 seed Instiute of Technology Central 25-4, 25-9, 25-5.
The Warriors produced 16 aces, four each by Eva Militi and Grace Horning. Alice Bender added three aces along with her five digs as Sophia Johnson got six assists and Zoe Zuckerman five assists. Eva Tarolli’s six kills led the front line.
Two other Class B quarterfinals took place in the days that followed with Marcellus, the no. 2 seed, turning back Solvay in another three-set sweep.
As it turned out, the opening set was the turning point. The Bearcats got within two points of victory only to have the Mustangs claim it 26-24 on the way to taking the other two sets 25-20 and 25-16.
Dorothy McMahon and Harper Camp had seven kills apiece, Maddy Foy adding six kills and Jaidyn Groff four kills. They were in front of Chloe Kuttruff, who got 23 assists as McMahon earned five aces and Ella Butler had eight digs.
Solvay, whose season finished at 7-11, was led by Hannah Cintron’s five kills, seven digs and nine assists. Victoria Zappala had four kills and Emma Rutkowski three kills as Rachel Willsey and Gianna D’Eredita had 10 digs apiece, Samantha Sacco adding eight digs and Willsey three aces.
Skaneaeteles did not make it through to meet Marcellus in the semifinals, though, the no. 6 seed Lakers dropping its quarterfinal to no. 3 seed Homer in four sets to end its season with a 6-11 record.
The Trojans took the first two sets 25-17 and 25-19. Skaneateles kept itself alive with a 25-22 win in the third and were within two points of forcing it to final set before Homer pulled out the fourth 26-24 as Dannica Smith got 35 assists behind Izzy Tutino (14 kills, 22 digs) and Ellen Spanbauer (13 kills, 26 digs) as Spanbauer added seven aces.
Up in Class AA, West Genesee possessed the no. 2 team in a seven-team field meaning it would have to go through a quarterfinal match last Tuesday against no. 7 seed Nottingham.
It didn’t take long for the Wildcats to put away the Bulldogs 25-9, 25-7, 25-19, with five aces produced by Hollis Pfeiffer and four aces apiece from Maddie Cook and Eliana Becker.
Aside from her serves, Becker also got 19 assists, feeding it to a front line led by Alaina Dudzinski’s eight kills. Norah Emery and Celia Spicer got four kills apiece, with Bella Vallely adding three kills.
A night later, no. 3 seed Central Square defeated Henninger, setting up Wednesday’s semifinal where WG would fight to advance to Saturday’s final at Phoenix.
Bishop Ludden rose from its no. 4 seed in Class D to win a five-set epic over Living Word Academy in Tuesday night’s quarterfinal match.
Dropping the first set 25-23, the Gaelic Knights rolled through the second set 25-10 and took the third 25-21. And even when the Lions won the fourth 25-16. Ludden took charge in the final-set race to 15, winning the match 15-9.
Natalie Testa and Sophia Rivera had 14 assists apiece, Grace Hilton earning 16 digs. Up front, Tiz’Arriah Billue got 12 kills, Abby Reynolds adding six kills as Jaylianna Pascarella had five kills and Abby Mossotti five kills.
Despite this, Ludden would still have to knock off top seed Bishop Grimes in next Tuesday’s semifinal to earn a ticket to the Nov. 8 7:30 final at Phoenix against LaFayette or Hamilton.
Also on Tuesday Jordan-Elbridge, the top seed in Class C, meets Syracuse Academy of Science in its sectional semifinal, the winner heading to Phoenix Nov. 9 at 4:30 for the final against Cato-Meridian or Weedsport.
