VICTOR — Until this Saturday, no Southwest girls sports teams had qualified to compete at state. After winning their first section title and playing in the Far West Region for the first time, the volleyball team had a chance to go where no team had been able to go before.
As it has throughout the postseason, Southwestern made Class B Far West Regional look easy against Section V champion Livonia. In a game that left little doubt, the Trojans defeated the Bulldogs 25-19, 25-16, 25-21 at Victor High School, a New York State public high school game at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls. They advanced to the School Athletic Association Championships. .
“We’re very happy,” Southwestern head coach Alexis Johnson said. “This is the first time a Southwestern girls team has gone to state. We’ve had a lot of people supporting us, between the school administration and the community. It definitely makes a difference, this is what I It’s a very monumental time for our program and for our school, and I couldn’t feel any better.”
After battling nerves all morning, Southwestern settled into the first set about halfway through the match and began running away from the match as Livonia struggled to put up points.
Southwestern had a strong finish in the first set, and Livonia scrambled to dominate the second set.
A five-point run early caused a Livonia timeout, and then the game slipped further, with the Bulldogs calling a second timeout midway through a six-point run and losing 22-14.
“It helps our confidence a lot,” Johnson said of the team’s perfect play in the playoffs. “We went into the playoffs at 10-6. We had a lot of tough competition throughout the school year, but going into the playoffs, no one expected a 10-6 team to make it this far. I think it’s great to see how hard the girls have worked during this time.”
The first and only time Southwestern appeared to be in trouble was in the third set, when Livonia established leads at 9-5 and 17-12, both times when Johnson called timeouts.
“I’m sure we were nervous all day here,” Johnson added. “We just know that we are at a point that not many others can reach and that if the girls win, we will be making history. So the girls will feel a lot of pressure all day long. I think it definitely showed on the court at times. There were times when they did things they shouldn’t have done, but it worked out.”
That second timeout really paid off as Southwestern scored nine points and took a 21-17 lead. Now actually sitting in the driver’s seat, it was clear the Trojans were going to go to states grinning with a 25-21 win.
“I know the girls have worked hard,” Johnson said of the team’s efforts. “There’s been some good teams we’ve played against so far, but I think they’ve really stepped up. They’ve worked hard to win every point throughout the playoffs, and it shows. . I’m happy to see that I haven’t dropped a set yet in the playoffs, which is great.”
A rally in the third set kept the Trojans in a perfect postseason en route to the state championship without losing a set.
“I went to state 10 years ago,” Johnson said of his playing career at Randolph and where his players are headed now. “I’ve been telling the girls how much fun it is, there’s a banquet, there’s dressing up, there’s an awards ceremony. There you get to see the best volleyball players from all over the state. So many It’s a big challenge because there’s so much going on… They’re going to be so much fun.”
The Trojans were once again led by senior Lauren Cotter, who had nine kills, nine aces, two digs and one block. and Jadyn Newhouse had 10 kills, three aces and one block. Junior Bella Sirianni led the attack with 24 assists, four digs and four kills, while McKenna Bogdanovic had five digs and three assists.
“Our seniors have been with us for a long time,” Johnson said. “One of them has been with us since eighth grade, but the others have been with us longer than I’ve been here. All three have played almost a full round. They’re great, great athletes. They’re great leaders and I think that’s the biggest part. They work hard to lead the rest of the team and show them the way and bring everyone together. They’re doing a lot of things that aren’t related to volleyball, so I’m going to miss them a lot.”
Southwestern also continues its streak of Section VI teams qualifying for state, joining Chautauqua Lake in Class D and fellow league opponent Portville in Class C.
“As it stands, Chautauqua Lake is going to the state, Portville is going to the state, and we are going to the state,” Johnson added. “I think our region is very committed when it comes to volleyball. We have a lot of great competition throughout the year, so I think that will definitely help us prepare for the playoffs. None of these teams It’s not in our class, but it’s fun to play against because it’s a close game. We haven’t been very high against those close teams all year, so it’s great for the girls to step up for the playoffs. It’s nice to see them coming together.”