Girls volleyball: Wayne, Harley-Allendale-Columbia fall in state finals, Irondequoit dropped in semis
Harley-Allendale-Columbia and Wayne each advanced to the state final.
However, none of Section V's three girls volleyball champions left Glens Falls' Cool Insuring Arena with a coveted New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship.
Sunday morning's Class D title match featured a battle of the unbeatens. It was H-A-C senior Tori Colosimo whose Wolves had their 23-game winning streak snapped Sunday, though, losing in straight sets to back-to-back champion Mount Academy of Section IX.
In Sunday afternoon's NYSPHSAA Class B final, Wayne senior Emma Schumaker and her Eagles fell to Section I's Hendrick Hudson in straight sets.
Laney Flynn and Irondequoit advanced to the NYSPHSAA Class A tournament, but the Eagles couldn't advance past pool play.
Player(s) of the match
Class D
Tori Colosimo returned to her hybrid middle-setter role. She hustled all along the front and back rows, pacing H-A-C's offense with crisp passes offensively while also trying to block Mount Academy sisters Jacqui and Jena Maendel along the net. The Eagles won 10-25, 20-25, 14-25.
Class B
Wayne's Emma Schumaker was the Eagles' best attacker. She especially came alive toward the end of sets. But Schumaker's chances were few and far between early on. HH's Sailors dominated 9-25, 18-25, 17-25.
Unsung heroes
Class D
H-A-C's Izzy Martino made some powerful swings. Some of Martino's kills ended a few Mount Academy runs.
Zora Scannell-Rooks, Catherine Alexis, Lydia Gugino, Adelaide Grace and Lilah Constanzo all had fine tournaments as the Wolves (23-1) went 4-2 in Saturday's pool play, when H-A-C swept Living World (Section III) and Lake George (Section II) but dropped both sets to Mount Academy before Sunday's rubber match. This was H-A-C's first state tournament appearance.
Class B
Wayne's Olivia Huber, Anna Malbone and Myia Eskander all played well during the semifinals as coach Yonari Bueso's Eagles (18-4) went 3-3 in pool play. Wayne swept Westhill (Section III), split with Seaford (Section VIII) and lost both sets to Hendrick Hudson Saturday before Sunday's rematch. It was Wayne's first state tournament since 2006.
Class A
Irondequoit coach Marc Callari's Eagles (21-1) went 1-5 in pool play Saturday and did not advance to Sunday's finals. The Eagles last reached the state final in 2019 and won a state crown in 2008.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Girls volleyball: Harley-Allendale-Columbia, Wayne fall in state finals
