At least for a couple of moments, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys volleyball team was concerned that it would not escape last Wednesday’s match against Fayetteville-Manlius. But the Northstars persevered and beat the Hornets in five games, keeping itself atop the CNY Counties League standings in advance of Monday night’s showdown with Baldwinsville at the Baker High School gym. In both the first and third games, CNS won big, by margins of 25-15 and 25-11. Yet that didn’t keep F-M from taking over in the second and fourth games, prevailing by equal 25-17 margins. So it came down to the fifth game, where the Northstars again moved in front and won the match 25-20. Ethan Irish stepped up for 15 kills and five digs, with Tyler A. Smith getting 13 kills and three aces. Colin Crooks had six kills as Adam Collins matched Irish with five digs and Billy Werksman had three kills and three aces. Jim Coleman earned 38 assists on this night. CNS then swept Fowler 25-12, 25-10, 25-19 on Thursday, with Coleman still getting 30 assists in those three games, plus six aces. Irish had 12 kills and Smith earned five aces, adding seven assists. Crooks had four kills. Also on Wednesday night, the CNS girls volleyball team earned all the important points and took out West Genesee in four games, improving its record to 13-3 and 11-1 within the CNY Counties League. Each of the first two games followed the same pattern, with the Northstars and Wildcats trading points beyond the limit. Just then, CNS would earn the serve and get the game point, winning those games by equal 27-25 margins. WG did pull out the third game, 25-22, but in the fourth game the Northstars again moved in front and this time prevailed by a score of 25-21 to clinch the match. Lindsey Silfer finished with 11 kills and four assists, while Stephanie Gagnon had 10 kills. Cara Gannett added five kills and Emily Becker earned eight digs as Alex Silfer produced three kills and three blocks. Meghan Ross had 18 assists and Andrea Goettel picked up seven assists. A night earlier, CNS overcame a 25-22 defeat in the first game against Oswego and won the next three games 25-14, 25-21 and 25-20. Gagnon stepped up on the front line, earning 14 kills. Alex Silfer and Lindsey Silfer each had four kills, with Lindsey adding six aces and four assists as Alex got three blocks. Gannett picked up five blocks as Ross (14 assists, four kills) and Goettel (seven assists) fed them.