Despite an 8 hour bus trip Friday night, the varsity volleyball team arose early on Saturday morning and shook off any lingering lethargy to catapult themselves in the finals of the prestigious Horseheads Invitational Tournament in Elmira, NY, a tournament which featured 17 of the top volleyball programs in the state.
Kellenberg was flawless in pool play, amassing a 6 and 0 record, including a sweep of the host school, thanks to a 97% service rate that highlighted outstanding execution from Maggie Calabro, Kristen Flynn, and Grace Staudt. After storming through the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds behind the strong attacks and blocks of Emily Chin, Candace Belvedere, and Devon O’Shaughnessy, the Firebirds faced former State Champion Baldwinsville from Syracuse. Despite dropping the first set, Kellenberg wasn’t going down without a fight, as Ally Good’s gutsy performance included overcoming two physical setbacks to help snag a 26-24 game 2 victory. However, Baldwinsville lived up to its illustrious reputation and seized game three and the title.
The runner-up Lady Firebirds left their mark in the northwest region of NY state and hope to amass even more impressive performances as league play resumes this week.