SYRACUSE – The Lady Raiders won three more matches on Saturday in pod play at Onondaga CC. FM downed a scrappy Jefferson CC team 25-21, 25-18, and 25-20. Then they won a long and tough match with host Onondaga 20-25, 26-28, 25-19, 25-18, and 15-5. FM capped the day with a 3-0 blanking of Cayuga CC 25-8, 25-16, and 25-18.
This is the strongest volleyball team that FM has had in recent years. Their season record is now 10-1. The Raiders were ranked third among the 18 teams in Region 3 as they began play on Saturday. Their play at OCC should keep them in that lofty spot when the weekly rankings are announced on Tuesday.
Photo right: Elizabeth Hayward scores against Jefferson with this kill shot
Photo below: Raiders serving, from left Kaylee Robinson, Zara Hyde, Liz Hayward, Kaylee Gillen, Whitney Ostrander
Solid Start vs. Jefferson
Two key members of FM's seven-player rotation, Zara Hyde and Kaylee Gillen, were recovering from or nursing injuries, but they and their teammates rose to the occasion. The team also did what it took to shake off the effects of their early-morning travel and win the match.
A kill by freshman standout Katlyn Pierce and a kill by Kaylee Robinson gave FM a 6-4 lead in the opening set. Jefferson played well and kept the score very close, but the Lady Raiders never trailed after Robinson had won that sixth point.
Whitney Ostrander was the dominant player in the set. She won points with kills and blocks, and showed that she is among the region's premier players.
The Lady Cannoneers closed to 16-15, but a kill and a scoring block by Pierce made it 18-15. Soon Ostrander blocked a shot. Jefferson's dig kept it from scoring, but Ostrander then finished the play with a kill. 23-17. A clever dink shot by Hyde ended the set, with FM winning 25-21.
FM dominated the early going of the next set, taking a 10-0 lead. Jefferson, however, fought back to make it 10-5. FM then moved ahead. The set ended with Hyde setting up a nice kill by Ostrander. FM won that set 25-18 and won the final set 25-20.
Photo: Katlyn Pierce delivers one of her 13 kills against Jefferson
A Great Comeback
The Raiders had a bit of trouble getting their focus sharpened in the second match. They were playing the strong Onondaga squad. OCC entered that match with a 13-6 record. The first set was reasonably close, but OCC won 25-20. FM had won 19 sets in a row, from various opponents, before bowing to OCC.
Play in the second set was even closer. Neither team could win at the 25-point mark, so they kept playing. OCC ended up winning 28-26. The Raiders trailed two sets to none, and they had their backs to the wall.
Between sets, Head Coach Rachael Salvione stressed the need to get sharp mentally and avoid unforced errors. She told the team to just play one point at a time. Later, she stated that the team "dug deep in the next set. We took the lead and dominated the remainder of the match. Everybody stepped it up and played together as a team."
FM won that third set 25-19 and went on to win the fourth set 25-18. The fifth and deciding set saw FM win handily, 15-5. The Lady Raiders had hung in and achieved a difficult turnaround. It was the team's proudest moment among many fine moments in recent weeks.
Raiders Defeat Spartans
FM's final match of the day was with Cayuga CC. The Lady Raiders defeated the red-and-black clad Lady Spartans 25-8, 25-16, and 25-18.
The win raised FM's season record to 10-1. Their next outing will be on Wednesday evening at Columbia-Greene CC. They will take on the Twins in a 6:00 p.m. match.
As the team bus returned to Johnstown, Coach Salvione reflected on the day's play. She stated, "We showed a lot of heart and character today, and the girls are very proud of what they have accomplished. It is extremely difficult to lose two sets in a row and come back and take the next three." At the least, the pod play at OCC had to be a major confidence booster for this fine FM team.
C.J. Bonny, website writer
Stats for the three matches appear below the following photo.
Photo: Whitney Ostrander scores with a kill – other Raiders, from left, are Karissa Morey, Zara Hyde, Kaylee Gillen, Liz Hayward, and Kaylee Robinson
Stats
FM vs. Jefferson. Gillen - 27 digs; Ostrander - 16 kills and 9 blocks; Morey - 9 digs, 4 kills, and 2 aces; Hayward - 16 digs and 3 kills; Pierce - 13 kills and 4 blocks; Robinson - 7 kills and 10 digs; Hyde - 41 assists, 14 digs, and 3 kills
FM vs Onondaga. Gillen - 40 digs and 2 aces; Price 19 kills and 15 blocks; Ostrander - 15 kills, 9 blocks; Morey – 2 kills, 2 aces, and 11 digs; Hayward - 9 kills, 1 block, and 20 digs; Robinson - 11 digs and 2 kills; Hyde - 4 kills, 36 assists, and 22 digs
FM vs. Cayuga. Gillen- 2 kills and 17 digs; Ostrander - 11 kills, 4 blocks; Morey - 4 kills, 17 digs; Hayward - 15 digs; Pierce - 9 kills, 1 block and 2 digs; Robinson - 7 kills, and 3 digs; Hyde - 27 assists and 8 digs
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