GLENS FALLS -- As if past state girls volleyball finals were not convincing enough, Canandaigua Academy proved a teams' pool play performance on Day 1 does not factor into Day 2.
The Braves, went 3-3 in the Class AA semifinals on Saturday, nearly missing the championship match they went on to win over Baldwinsville (5-1) on Sunday.
Canandaigua defeated the state returners, 3-1, on game scores of 25-15, 25-22, 25-27, 25-23. Less than 24 hours earlier, the Braves were cheering for the Baldwinsville Bees in a match against Ward Melville, which Canandaigua later beat in a playoff game, 25-13. If Baldwinsville had lost, Canandaigua would have never had a shot at the title.
"It played out so perfectly," said Kym Gordon, the Braves' junior middle hitter and Class AA All-Tournament MVP. "So we just made it a goal that we're here because we're supposed to be. We came here to win this."
With tear-filled eyes, she added, "There's always a chance."
The class crown was the first for Canandaigua head coach Cheryl Chinn in her 22 years with the program. She had a group make the Class A final in 2005, which saw the championship slip away after winning the first two games.
With Baldwinsville's consistent comebacks, most notably from an 18-14 deficit in the third game, Chinn was nervous that it all could happen again.
"I was hoping it wasn't going to be deja vu from four years ago," she said. When her team was up 2-0 on Sunday, she said her players were chanting, "The train's-a-coming" on the sideline.
"I was just hoping that (the) Baldwinsville train wasn't coming," she said.
The Bees rebounded in the second game after trailing 22-14 to come within three points by the end. On the brink of a three-game sweep, Baldwinsville came back to take the third game and force a fourth.
Once again the Bees rallied after after trailing 18-10, but Canandaigua held on to clinch the title.
"...It's disappointing," said Baldwinsville head coach Mary Jo Cerqua, who's last team to make the finals lost in 2006. " .... They stuck in there and they played hard, and they played for every point. I was very proud of them the way they came back."
Her junior setter, Brianna Stewart, tallied 33 assists, and libero Carrie Hack had 27 digs. Outside hitters Jenna Blujus and Lauren McVey were named to the Class AA All-Tournament team after putting up 12 kills and 15 assists, and 14 kills respectively.
"Canandaigua came out possessed today," Cerqua said. "They played out of their minds."
The Braves' senior setter and all-tournament player, Marissa King, managed 45 assists and five kills, and Gordon, Lauren O'Hara and Elizabeth Scott led the team in kills with 19, 17 and 14 respectively. Senior libero Ashlee Upchurch finished the match with 20 digs.
Canandaigua also won the tournament sportsmanship award.
"The fate was in their hands, and they just needed to take it and run with it," Chinn said, with her blonde hair dyed Canandaigua red for the occasion. " ... I said if you lose, you have to dye your hair red. ... I'm just hoping it washes out."
As for the title: "It's awesome because I'll probably be retiring soon," she said, "and at least I got one."
Notes: Noelle Morrison of Ward Melville and Megan Lesczynski of Pine Bush also made the Class AA All-Tournament team.
Posted in Sports, High-school-and-prep on Sunday, November 22, 2009 10:00 pm
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