Girls high school volleyball teams to watch heading into the playoffs
With the high school volleyball season nearing its end, some teams have separated themselves ahead of Section III playoffs.
With open playoffs happening in Section III, all teams will be allowed to participate in postseason play, but there are a few teams to keep an eye out for as the playoffs approach.
Tri-Valley League
The New Hartford Spartans have dominated all season long and have a 15-0 record with one game remaining before sectionals begin. With the exception of three matches, the Spartans have won every contest by a score of 3-0.
In the other three matches, they won by a score of 3-1. It has been clear that New Hartford is the top team in the area this season led by Taylor Krol (117 kills, 117 digs, 25 aces), Makenzie Desmarais (111 kills, 107 digs, 14 set assists, 31 aces) and Elise Courto (115 kills, 62 digs, 32 aces).
Another top team in the TVL is the Whitesboro Warriors. The Warriors are right behind the Spartans with a 13-2 record. The Warriors have gotten solid contributions from up and down their roster, but specifically, Riley Collis (104 kills, 15 blocks, 21 digs, 31 aces) and Tara Williams (49 kills, 112 digs, 48 aces) have led the way for this successful Whitesboro team.
Center State Conference
The Mount Markham Mustangs sit atop CSC Division III with an undefeated 13-0 record. As a Class C school, the Mustangs have challenged themselves by playing Class A schools such as RFA, East-Syracuse Minoa and Whitesboro and defeating them all. Chloe Poland has paced Mount Markham with her team leading 121 kills and 92 aces. Lauren Jones has added 60 aces, 233 set assists and 49 digs to help add to the Mustangs’ success. Due to their regular season success and challenging opponents, the Mustangs are a team to keep an eye on as the postseason begins.
Dolgeville is another CSC team experiencing success this season. The Blue Devils are currently 13-3 and the top team in CSC Division II. Two of Dolgeville’s losses have come against top team Mount Markham and the other was a close one against Cooperstown. Other than those setbacks, the Blue Devils have won every match 3-0 and shown they are not a team to take lightly heading into the playoffs. Rylee Lamphere has been a leader for Dolgeville with 163 kills, 126 digs, 128 set assists and 84 aces. Madisen Gorinshenk has also been a big help with 73 kills, 103 digs, 20 set assists and 78 aces.
Sauquoit Valley is right behind Mount Markham in CSC Division III with an 11-4 record. Ella Luczak (45 digs, 213 set assists and 28 aces) and Brooke King (50 kills, 21 digs, 32 aces) have been big contributors for this Sauquoit Valley team.
Perhaps the surprise of not just the CSC, but all of Section III is New York Mills. The Marauders have struggled mightily in recent years. Prior to this season, the Marauders had not won a game since the 2017 season. This year they turned themselves into one of the top teams in the area with an 11-5 record and have shown that they should be taken seriously as the postseason approaches. Emily Lyga leads the team in kills with 122 and teammate Samantha Paparella leads with 41 aces.
The girls volleyball Section III seeding meeting for playoffs takes place Tuesday, Feb. 1. The first round of games will take place Feb. 2 with the higher seed hosting their games. The playoffs will come to an end Saturday, Feb. 12 at Jamesville-DeWitt High School.
Kenny Lacy is a sports reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Kenny Lacy at klacy@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Mohawk Valley girls volleyball teams to watch ahead of Section III playoffs
