Girls volleyball Bees open with three-set sweep of Westhill

BALDWINSVILLE – Though many matches and tournaments lay ahead and plenty of adversity will get faced, the Baldwinsville girls volleyball team could not have imagined a better start to its 2024 season.

Once again defending a Section III title (the first-ever Class AAA crown it earned last fall), the Bees merely pulled off a three-set sweep over reigning sectional Class B champion Westhill in Thursday night’s opener at Baker High School.

If there were any lingering concerns from 2023 that coach Dani Sayler wanted to address, it included B’ville’s tendency, regardless of the opponent, to fall behind early in sets and have to recover.

That wasn’t a problem here, though. In fact, only twice did the Warriors, who made it all the way to the state Class B final a year ago, even gain a lead, a brief 11-10 edge in the second set and the opening point of the third set.

Otherwise, the Bees always set the pace, and Madison MacKaig had a lot to do with it.

It was MacKaig serving when B’ville scored the match’s first four points. Then, with Westhill pulling within two 21-19 late in the set, the Bees regained the serve and MacKaig put away the last three points to win it 25-19.

Then it happened again in the second set, only in a greater fashion. With B’ville clinging to a 15-13 lead, it gained back serve, then watched MacKaig rattle off six consecutive points.

Having won that set 25-15, B’ville led by as much as nine, 19-10, in the third, and when Westhill roared back within two, 22-20, it again closed strong with three points in a row to complete the sweep.

All told, MacKaig recorded nearly 20 points through her serves, while Amelia Hahn’s nine kills led a strong front line where Mallory Offredi and Natalie Dauphinais had six kills apiece. Dauphainis added four aces and Offredi equaled MacKaig’s three aces as Addy Garcia produced 10 digs.

B’ville plays Saturday in the Penfield Tournament and then makes a trip next Wednesday night to Fayetteville-Manlius.