QUEENSBURY – The Lady Raiders won a great championship match with SUNY Adirondack on Saturday afternoon, capturing the Mountain Valley Conference (MVC) crown. The visiting Raiders defeated the very tough Timberwolves on their home court, winning 3-1. The set scores were 26-24, 25-17, 19-25, and 25-21.

Photo:  Karissa Morey kills for a point vs. Adirondack while (from left) Zara Hyde, Kaylee Gillen, Kaylee Robinson, and Katlyn Pierce guard against a possible block

The Raiders' day began with a semifinal bout with a determined Delhi squad. The Lady Broncos were a formidable foe, but the FM Six defeated them 3-0. The set scores were 25-14, 25-15, and 25-21.

Championship Match

Adirondack won five of the first six points of Set One, but two kills by Katlyn Pierce got FM on the scoreboard. The Timberwolves still had the lead at 9-5 when both FM's offense and defense really started clicking.

A Kaylee Robinson kill brought FM within one point. An ace by Karissa Morey tied the set at 11-11, and a Whitney Ostrander block gave FM the 12-11 lead. FM kept the lead until the talented Timberwolves tied the score 24-24. Ostrander then took charge, delivering a kill and a winning block to end the set 26-24.

Photo:  Zara Hyde sets for Whitney Ostrander in the Delhi match

A large and loud crowd cheered on the T-wolves, but there were also a good number of the FM faithful in the stands. It was an intense and well-played match to remember.

Adirondack scored first in Set Two, but kills by Pierce and Ostrander gave FM an early 4-2 lead. The Raiders added to that lead, but the Wolves kept chasing them intensely. A Pierce kill made it 14-9. Hyde's deep placement shot made it 15-9. Hyde made a sweet set behind her that Ostrander put away for a 20-15 lead. Price's dink shot earned FM's 24th point, and a tricky flick by Hyde ended the set at 25-17.

The T-Wolves were not done. They worked their way back into the match and won Set Three 25-19. However, the Lady Raiders upped their game toward the end of that set, gaining momentum for the finale.

Pierce's block and placement shots helped FM to a 4-0 lead in the fourth set. Adirondack kept playing well, but the Lady Raiders were better. Hyde's dink made it 9-4. The Wolves fought back. With conference Player of the Year Rachel Lumley at the service line, Adirondack closed to 17-14.

Liz Hayward served, Ostrander made a marvelous block, and FM led 20-15. The championship was in sight. Ostrander killed twice more. Pierce placed a great shot to the right side. 24-20. Adirondack won the next point, but their final serve went wide. FM won the set 25-21 and became the tournament champions.

The Lady Raiders were presented with the MVC trophy. Every Raider and Raider fan savored the moment. (See photo below.)

A smiling Head Coach Salvione stated, "It felt so good for all the hard work the girls have done to come together all at once. We stayed strong mentally, and we beat a very talented and well-coached Adirondack team. And it was a difficult environment to play in."

FM's next outing will be in the Region 3 tournament next weekend at Niagara CCC, the winner of which will go on to the national final-eight tourney in Minnesota. The likely top seed for the regional tourney is Monroe CC. FM, Adirondack, and Jamestown have nearly identical records and will likely be the two-through-four seeds, in an order to be announced early next week.

                    C.J. Bonny, website writer

Click here for three-minute video highlights.

All-Conference Team

The MVC All-Conference Team was introduced prior to the championship match.

Photo, from left:  SUNY Adirondack Athletic Director John Quattrocchi, Zara Hyde, Nicole DeMarco (Delhi), Brianna Seeley (Adirondack), Madison Paquin (Adirondack), Whitney Ostrander, Rachel Lumley (Adirondack), Coach Xiao Li (Adirondack)

Stats  The FM stat highlights are listed below the trophy photo.

 

FMCC vs. Adirondack:  Gillen – 25 digs, 12 for 12 serving; Ostrander – 1 ace, 13 kills, 9 blocks, 17 for 18 serving; Morey – 2 aces, 9 digs, 13 for 14 serving; Hayward – 18 digs, 4 kills, 16 for 16 serving; Pierce – 19 kills, 10 blocks; Robinson – 1 ace, 6 kills, 14 digs; Hyde – 19 digs, 7 kills, 42 assists, 20 for 20 serving; Team – only 4 service errors vs. Adirondack.

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