Published February 22, 2009 12:09 am - Plattsburgh High recaptures Section VII volleyball crown; NAC extends Class C reign.
Volleyball form holds true
NAC outlasts Placid for 25th straight Class C crown
By NICK ST. DENIS
Contributing Writer
PLATTSBURGH — The flip-flopping of Section VII Class B championships between the Beekmantown and Plattsburgh High volleyball teams extended to a seventh straight year, as the Hornets regained the crown with a 3-1 victory over the Eagles at Memorial Hall Saturday.
Plattsburgh battled back for three straight wins after falling in the opening game, 25-14, with decisions of 27-25, 27-25 and 25-18.
"Everyone stepped up — my girls played their hearts out," PHS head coach Vickie McMillan said. "Beekmantown is very well-coached and has very good players. I would have never expected to win in four games."
Rosi Cummings came out of the gate very strong at the net, helping the Eagles to a 25-14 win in the first game. She totalled 19 kills and 31 digs on the day.
But the Hornets made adjustments, switching players around to improve personnel matchups, and won the next two games, 27-25 apiece.
"If you don't get some type of touch on (Cummings') ball, she can really wreak havoc on your team," McMillan said.
The first of PHS's three wins may have been the closest. Both teams repeatedly racked up four or five points at a time, sharing the lead throughout until the score got into the 20's.
Beekmantown came back after a six-point deficit late in the third game, but again lost by two in an extended match.
In the fourth and final game, the Hornets held a lead for good majority of the game, putting the Eagles away with solid defense after a positive early spurt for Beekmantown.
"Brittany Bracale played amazing for us today," McMillan said. "She never serves, and she scored 10 points."
Bracale tallied 44 assists, five digs, three aces and a kill. Ashley Rebideau added 12 points, two aces, and 18 digs for the Hornets, and Roshell Gist totalled four points, 17 kills, two blocks and 16 digs.
Brittany Lapham and Kelsey Barnes had big showings for the Eagles. Lapham tallied 36 assists and 11 points to go along with her two aces, five kills and seven digs, while Barnes made 28 digs and scored 18 points. She also added seven aces.
"We knew it was going to be a dog fight," McMillan said. "Both teams got into a tipping match, and we had worked a lot on that during practice this week.
"Plattsburgh peaked at the right time."
Class C Championship
Northern Adirondack 3
Lake Placid 2
PLATTSBURGH — Northern Adirondack captured yet another Class C sectional championship Saturday, winning in five games over Lake Placid.
However, Lake Placid, who entered the meeting at 1-15, gave the Bobcats all they could handle.
The Blue Bombers won a decisive first game, 25-17, before losing 19-25 in the second. Then, in the third game, they overcame an eight-point deficit and beat the Bobcats, 26-24.
"The way we fought back in the third game was a good sign, because we haven't done that very well this year," Lake Placid head coach Donna Moody said.
NAC took back control in the final two games, starting with a 14-point victory in the fourth.
Sarah Brunell, Jordyn Danforth and Chelsea Warick led the team in scoring, combining for 40 points. Warick and Brunell made nine kills apiece. Brunell also tallied five digs, three assists and eight aces. Danforth had seven aces.
"Brunell and Danforth served real well, and Warick had an amazing day at the net," NAC head coach Shae Gilmore said.
Bethany Valenze led Lake Placid with 16 points, six aces, two kills, two assists and a block.
Moody said her team made improvements throughout the year and put a solid game together after inconsistent season.
"It was a good team effort," she said. "We just came up a little short."
—
Plattsburgh 3, Beekmantown 1
PHS: 14-25, 27-25, 27-25, 25-18
B'town: Sponable 7 kills, 3 digs. Clookey 4, points, 3 kills, 23 digs. Cummings 3 points, 19 kills, 31 digs, 1 block, 1 assist. Lucia 9 kills, 9 digs. Lapham 11 points, 2 aces, 5 kills, 7 digs, 36 assists. Kotowski 9 points, 1 ace, 19 digs. Momot 4 points, 1 ace, 12 digs. Barnes 18 points, 7 aces, 28 digs.
PHS: Bracale 10 points, 3 aces, 1 kill, 44 assists, 5 digs. Rebideau 12 points, 2 aces, 18 digs. Hoops 7 points, 2 aces, 11 kills, 1 block, 5 digs. Phillips 2 points, 1 ace, 1 dig. R. Gist 4 points, 17 kills, 2 blocks, 16 digs. Harrigan 12 kills, 1 block, 4 digs. Emery 8 points, 1 ace, 8 kills, 11 digs. Fisher 3 points, 2 kills, 2 assists, 3 digs. Ouedraogo 6 digs. McMahan 5 digs.
—
NAC 3, Lake Placid 2
NAC: 17-25, 25-17, 24-26, 25-11, 25-19
NAC: Warick 9 points, 9 kills, 4 aces. Brunell 17 points, 9 kills, 5 digs, 3 assists, 8 aces. Fillion 4 points, 3 assists, 1 ace. Danforth 14 points, 3 kills, 7 aces. Perry 3 kills. Trombley 6 points, 1 dig, 9 assists. Love 5 kills. Williams 6 kills, 9 assists, 1 ace. Drown 5 kills, 1 dig, 3 aces.
LP: Valenze 16 points, 6 aces, 2 kills, 2 assists, 1 block. Baumbach 1 point, 2 kills, 1 block. Puerner 6 points, 3 aces, 2 kills, 1 assist. Scarpelli 8 points, 4 aces. Wyle 10 points, 6 aces, 2 assists. Riley 5 points, 2 aces, 2 kills, 1 block. Appleton 5 points, 1 kill.