Archive: Sports

At the Section IV Class C playoffs on Thursday November 5th, Lansing defeated Newark Valley 2-0 and split sets with Trumansburg and Tioga to capture a slot in the finals.  The top-seeded Bobcats entered the round-robin tournament with only one loss marring their perfect record. 

That loss to Tioga in the previous week’s IAC championship had rocked the team to its core.  A resounding 25-12 win over Newark Valley in the first play-off set helped restore Lansing’s confidence.  Newark Valley came on strong in the second set, however, and Lansing trailed until Kari Fenner set Sunah Bong in the back court and Tory Cutting for kills, and then a Tara Miller block tied the score 10-10.  The two teams were tied nine more times until at 23-23 Taylor Bandler set up Amber Howser for a kill and Nicolo Gentile followed with an ace to end the set 25-23.

Lansing then faced Trumansburg for the third time this season.  Lansing took a slight lead in the first set with kills by Fenner, Beyea, Cutting, and Howser, along with a Gentile ace, but Lansing could not hold the advantage.  Although blocks by Kristen Beyea, Cutting, Howser, and Blair Wigsten thwarted Tburg’s size and power at the net, Lansing had a five-point deficit as Tburg approached set point, 18-23…19-24. 

Bandler set Miller for a kill and Beyea bought Lansing time with two blocks and a kill, again assisted by Bandler, 23-24.  A Lansing error dashed hopes, however, sealing the loss 23-25.  Winning the next set was critical for Lansing to progress.  Lansing started slowly but tied the score at 6-6, with several players pitching in kills, including a cross-court Miller spike that shaved inside the antenna.  Bong and Gentile formed a dynamic defensive wall, with assistance from Howser.  Trumansburg proceeded to lose the set, committing twice as many errors as Lansing.  Howser racked up kills, a service point, and two aces, including the game point, finishing the set 25-19.

The Bobcats entered their third contest of the evening knowing they needed to take at least one set to avoid a rematch against Tburg, which had lost 0-2 to Tioga.  Tioga’s Tigers leapt ahead in the first set through a combination of kills, successful response to Lansing’s blocking, and Lansing miscommunication.  Lansing never pulled its game together, losing 13-25.  Lansing came back from the pause with claws extended and delivered quality volleyball with machine-like efficiency.  After Tioga started the set with four errors, Beyea stepped up to the service line at 6-4 and held court for 12 straight points, including four aces, bringing the score to 18-4.  Lansing gave up only three more points before winning 25-17 and securing their spot in the finals.

Seniors Cutting and Beyea were formidable all night.  Cutting had eleven kills and Beyea ten; each had three blocks.  Howser also contributed eight kills and two blocks, Miller six kills and a block, Wigsten three kills and two blocks, Bong two kills, and Breanna Brann one.  Bandler pitched in 20 assists and Fenner 17, as well as four kills.

Returning to Horseheads on Saturday November 7th to face Tioga again in the Class C Section IV finals, Lansing was jittery in the warm-up, and veteran players made uncharacteristic mistakes – a clear case of nerves.  The Tigers earned their stripes, beating Lansing in four sets, 3-1.

Tioga started the first set with several kills that caught Lansing flat footed.  Lansing tied the score at 12-12 and held the score within two points through blocking by Miller and Howser; kills by Cutting and Gentile; digs by Bong and Gentile; and Fenner and Miller’s quick action at the net to pick up balls dropped from attempted Lansing blocks. 

Despite the fight, Lansing lost 23-25.  The second set had a more promising start with a Bandler ace and kills by Miller, Howser, and back-court Bong.  Beyea added an ace, Howser a block and a kill, and Wigsten a kill.  Tioga responded in kind, however, tying the set 12-12.  A tense game followed, with six more tie scores.  At 20-21, Tioga was saved from a Fenner kill by a ceiling net that nabbed Tioga’s out-of-bounds dig, forcing a replay.  Tioga’s defense proved itself, as the Tigers blocked a Wigsten spike and retrieved a forceful ricochet off a Bong spike.  Again, Lansing ended the set short at 23-25.

In the must-win third set, Lansing once again delivered when up against a wall.  Miller, Fenner, and Bong kills created an initial lead, expanded by Brann, Wigsten, and Beyea.  Tioga’s defense held the spread to four points, then Lansing errors brought Tioga within a point, prompting a Lansing time-out at 18-17.  This time, Lansing held its lead by playing smartly.  The last two points were precision pushes by Wigsten and Gentile into defensive gaps, winning the set 25-21.

The Bobcats started the fourth set way out of synch – colliding instead of communicating, allowing dropped balls, as if the team software had been hijacked by a virus.  A time out at 1-7 staunched the point leakage and was followed by two Howser kills and one each by Fenner and Beyea, 5-7.  Lansing continued to mount its attack; Brann, Wigsten, Miller, and Fenner delivered kills, fighting to stay in the match.  Lansing’s last two points each found a hole in Tioga’s center court.  These were overshadowed, however, by repeated Lansing blocking and attack errors, which culminated in a 14-25 loss.

Bong capped her Lansing career with over 20 digs, imposing serves and powerful back-court spikes that sent Tioga running off court repeatedly to save digs gone awry.  Niki Gain, despite recovering from the flu, joined her teammates in minimizing Tioga’s kill tally.  Fenner showed her characteristic dependable versatility, contributing nine assists and five kills.  Bandler teed up 14 assists.  Wigsten led in kills with seven; Beyea and Howser five each; Miller four;  Cutting and Gentile three each;  and Brann, Bandler, and Bong two each.  Beyea mounted three blocks and Miller two.

The story behind the score is one of Tioga’s agile and determined defense against a persistent torrent of Lansing hits, and a talented Lansing team tripped up by mental errors.  Tioga prevailed by keeping the ball in play.  More than 20 times in the first two sets alone, in the face of Lansing’s offensive barrage, Tioga failed to mount an attack, instead just managing to pass a “free ball” over the net.  In contrast, Lansing played its own creative game to the end.    

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