SANBORN – The Lady Raiders' terrific volleyball season came to an end on Sunday afternoon. The FM squad had won three matches on Saturday to qualify for the semifinals on Sunday. The semis had FM meeting Monroe CC and Niagara CCC meeting SUNY Adirondack.
The FM Six entered the Monroe match with a great attitude and a 24-3 record. FM had played Monroe on almost-even terms on October 4, finally losing to the Lady Tribunes in five sets. FM's women wanted to avenge that narrow loss on Sunday, but the Monroe players were at the top of their game. They defeated the Raiders in straight sets, 25-15, 25-14, and 25-18.
Photo: Katlyn Pierce kills for a point – the other Raiders are, from left, Karissa Morey, Zara Hyde, and Elizabeth Hayward
Monroe then went on to defeat Adirondack in the finals. The Lady Tribunes are the Region 3 champions and will go on to the national championship tournament in Minnesota.
Good teams hate to lose, but the reality of postseason play is that, except for the national champion, every team's postseason must end with a loss. Especially in FM's case, that loss must not overshadow the excellence of their season.
This Lady Raiders team almost always produced very good volleyball when they stepped onto the court. They scored a lot of points, especially with shots by their middle and outside hitters. But this squad also played very good defense, and they passed the ball quite well.
The Raiders defeated Adirondack on the Timberwolves' home court to win the Mountain Valley Conference Championship a week before the regionals. They won six of their last seven matches. Head Coach Rachael Salvione's team went farther in the postseason than any previous FMCC volleyball team had gone.
Several players won conference and regional honors. Whitney Ostrander was named to the All-Region First Team and to the Region All-Tournament Team. Zara Hyde was named to the All-Region Second Team. Katlyn Pierce was named to the Third Team, as was Kaylee Gillen, who was also named to the All-Tournament Team.
Photo: Standout senior Whitney Ostrander with a kill – the other FM players are, from left, Kaylee Robinson, Kaylee Gillen, and Karissa Morey
In short, this Lady Raider squad had a remarkable season – one to remember. The team put itself in the FM record books. It was a team that played the sport of volleyball the way it should be played.
C.J. Bonny, website writer
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