The Cincinnatus and Tully girls volleyball teams got high seeds after successful regular seasons and the Lions and Black Knights will have to wait for their first opponent after receiving byes. Cincinnatus is the No. 1 seed in Section III Class D and Tully is the No. 3 seed in Section III Class C. McGraw is also the No. 10 seed in Class D.
Cincinnatus got the top spot after a 15-2 regular season. The Lions are riding an eight-game winning streak. Cincinnatus will face the winner of No. 8 Faith Heritage (8-10) and No. 9 Manlius Pebble Hill (6-10).
That match will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Faith Heritage. The winner will travel to Cincinnatus for a quarterfinal match at 6 p.m. Friday.
Cincinnatus is led by star junior Allyson St. Germain. She leads the Lions in kills with 192 and aces with 87. St. Germain is also second in digs with 164 and service points with 177. Juniors Kaedance Latta and Cassia Schuyler follow her up, with Latta leading the Lions with 241 assists and Schuyler, the libero, pacing the squad in digs with 168 and service points with 194. Latta also had 38 kills, 29 aces, 13 blocks, 61 digs and 152 service points, while Schuyler has added 67 aces.
Sophomores Maddie Pittsley and Lucy Finch have added solid production around the net, with senior Kaylee Brenchley and sophomores Payton Gerrard and Madison Stover contributing all over the floor.
If Cincinnatus wins its first game, it will face either No. 4 Town of Webb (12-4) or the winner of No. 5 Stockbridge Valley (8-7) and No. 12 Owen D. Young (3-14) in the semifinals.
McGraw got the No. 10 seed after finishing 5-9. The Eagles will travel to face No. 7 New York Mills (10-9) in the first round at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The winner will take on No. 2 Remsen at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The Eagles’ attack is led by senior Camdyn Caperton, juniors Adrianna Stacconi, Myranda Murray and Emmily Thomas and eighth grader Remy Stull.
Tully earned the No. 3 seed at Class C after a 16-2 regular season. The Black Knights have won six straight games heading into sectionals. Tully’s first game will beat 6 p.m. Thursday against either No. 6 Weedsport (12-7) or No. 11 Westmoreland (7-13). Weedsport and Westmoreland will play at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Weedsport.
If Tully wins, it will take on either No. 2 Beaver River (15-0) or the winner of No. 7 Little Falls (11-8) and No. 10 Morrisville-Eaton (8-11).
Tully head coach Jeremy Cook likes where his team fell in the bracket, but knows it will be a gauntlet to win a sectional title.
“We know that all of the top four are super strong programs and I feel like anyone in the top four could win,” Cook said. “Obviously, Mount Markham and Beaver River, being undefeated, will be tough tests for whoever has to play them, but I think we are playing our best volleyball right now and the girls are up for the challenge.”
“We are lucky to get a home game,” Cook said. “If we are lucky enough to get past that we are looking forward to another chance at Beaver River on the road because we feel like last year was not a good representation of how we can play. The underclassmen are really trying to step up to continue the season for the seniors.”
The Black Knights are paced by big hitter Sam Garback, a senior, and sophomore setter Anna Lund. Garback has 176 kills, 53 aces and 35 blocks, while Anna Lund has 397 assists, 110 digs and 42 aces. Tully also has a solid defense, with senior libero Maria Altman recording 212 digs, sophomore Maddy Lund adding 208 digs, 73 kills and 53 aces and junior Rowan Usherwood notching 151 digs and 88 kills. Junior Karissa Olender has also added 90 digs and freshman Kaylynne Bennett has contributed 100 kills, 42 aces and 18 blocks.
