The primary objective for a trio of local high school girls volleyball teams was to survive the first week of the Section III Class B playoffs. Marcellus, sporting the no. 6 seed in Class B (its lowest seed in years), made it through the opening round with relative ease last Tuesday night, sweeping no. 11 seed Mount Markham 25-16, 25-7, 25-12. The clash between two Mustang teams proved to be a short one. Nicole Fletcher had 10 kills, while Becca Eddy earned six kills. Samantha Vulcano got 20 assists and joined Sara Ryan and Alyssa Santoferrara with three aces apiece. In Thursday’s quarterfinal round, Marcellus will go north to Adams to face no. 3 seed South Jefferson. Solvay, with the no. 9 seed, had to make a long road trip to Boonville to face no. 8 seed Adirondack — but it worked out, as the Bearcats beat the Wildcats in four games. Each of the first two games ended 25-22, the two sides splitting them. But Solvay took control in the third game, winning it 25-17, and closed it out in the fourth game by that same margin. Calla Bakowski accumulated 27 assists, adding three kills and two aces. Shannon Slowik had 14 kills and three aces, with Bri Lioto adding 12 kills and Cassidy Tanzella earning seven kills, plus three blocks. This leads Solvay to a Class B quarterfinal against unbeaten top seed Canastota.
Jordan-Elbridge was the no. 11 seed and lost in the first round to no. 6 seed Lowville 25-13, 25-8, 25-13. Lisa Kimak had two blocks, with Lindsy Geery getting two assists and Kristi Hyde two kills. The Eagles’ season finished with a record of 10-11.