Write a commentExpectations were for a rugged five-game set, but the Oswego High School boys varsity volleyball team played an all-around solid game, Wednesday night, Nov. 6, at Cicero-North Syracuse to capture the Section III Class AA crown.
The Bucs got off to a quick start and dominated the opening game with a 25-18 victory and matched that score in the second to take a 2-0 lead.
However, Baldwinsville was not going to give up and carried the play in the first half of the third game.
The turning point came as Buc Mike Edwards got the serve with his team trailing 15-12. By the time his service had ended, the Bucs were up 18-15 and never looked back.
With solid net play by Zach Gillard, Pat Dillon, Emmet O'Brien and Logan Krass and solid set ups by Josh Carney, everyone on the floor contributed to earning the sectional crown with a final score final score of 25-18.
Final stats showed Carney with 39 assists, five kills, two aces and two blocks while Gillard had 22 kills, an ace, four blocks and three digs. Krass contributed with a dozen kills and four blocks while O'Brien had five kills, two blocks and a dig.
Dillon finished with five kills, two aces, a block and two digs and Edwards had a kill, two aces and a dig.
Trevor Bradshaw had an ace on the night.
During the regular season, the teams split a pair of five-game contests and expectations were for another marathon volleyball match up. A year ago, these two teams met for the title and it was the Bees who ended the Bucs season. However, Wednesday night it was win number 17 for OHS as the team enters state regional competition with a respectable 17-2 record.
Oswego will square off with Section II champion Bethlehem at Burnt Hills High School in the Albany area at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8. The winner of that contest will travel to Section I Saturday for a 5 p.m. match up with Suffern. The survivor of the weekend will be headed to the state finals in Glens Falls the following weekend.
