CENTRAL NEW YORK – What was already evident earlier this season remained true as the calendar turned to February – the Chittenango boys volleyball team is getting pushed more.
Having already endured a five-set defeat to Central Valley Academy on Jan. 14 (the rematch is scheduled for this Saturday), the Bears again went to five sets against Utica Proctor last Thursday night but was able to prevail with a big-time comeback.
Five straight wins had followed the CVA defeat, all of them sweeps. That changed here when Proctor claimed the opening set 25-18 and maintained its high level of play in the second 25-17.
Forced to play catch-up, Chittenango began to do so with a dominant third set 25-14 and didn’t tail off much in the fourth, taking that set 25-19.
Then the Bears won the final-set race to 15 points, topping Proctor 15-10 as Logan Bronner ran his total to 37 assists helped on defense by Micah Schiralli earning 11 digs.
Ryan Thousand led the front line with 14 kills, adding 10 digs. Jackson Blaszkow had nine kills and six digs, Gavin Karwoski getting seven kills and Jacob Wagner six kills as he matched Thousand with 10 digs. Logan Mills earned five kills and four blocks.
In defeat, Proctor got 14 kills from Htoo Ku Moo, with Luu Htoo and Ku Moo soe each picking up seven kills and, passing to all of them, Yoe Suu earning 24 assists and Eh Tha Me See 16 assists.
Meanwhile, Chittenango’s girls volleyball team could not pick off a set from Christian Brothers Academy last Thursday night in a three-set loss to the Brothers that dropped the Bears’ record to 7-6.
