WEST WINFIELD - With a third win this season over Center State Conference rival Cooperstown, Mt. Markham's unbeaten Mustangs head back to Watertown for another rematch Saturday when they defend Section III's Class C winter volleyball title.
The top-seeded Mustangs (18-0) swept Cooperstown (16-3), winning by scores of 25-19, 25-21 and 25-19, and will meet No. 2 Beaver River (17-0) in the second of Saturday's four championship matches at Watertown High School. Mt. Markham, winner of 27 consecutive matches over two seasons, completed an unbeaten 2022-23 by beating the Beavers 25-10, 25-14, 25-22.
All four championship pairings were set with semifinal play Tuesday and Wednesday as the two-week postseason playoffs wind down. New Hartford (18-1), the No. 1 seed in Class A, beat East Syracuse-Minoa 3-1 Tuesday, setting up a showdown in that final between the last two sectional champions; No. 2 Rome Free Academy (18-1) had swept three games from Camden Tuesday. No. 4 Clinton (14-6) takes on Christian Brothers Academy (15-4) of Syracuse, the No. 2 seed, in Class B, and No. 1 Cincinnatus (17-2) meets No. 3 Fabius-Pompey (17-5) in Class D.
More: Semifinal matches set for winter volleyball playoffs
More: Seeds set for Section III winter volleyball; playoffs start Tuesday
Mt. Markham had beaten Cooperstown 3-1 on the road and 3-2 at home during the regular season, the only matches the Hawkeyes had lost entering Wednesday. The Mustangs jumped ahead 8-2 and served for the first game at 24-16 while taking a 1-0 lead in the match. The second game was different; Mt. Markham led 7-1 before Cooperstown sided out and libero Sophia Hotaking served 11 consecutive points, giving the Hawkeyes a 13-7 edge. Cooperstown led 20-13 but called timeout at 21-20 before Kyra Treen served an ace to tie the score then served out for a two games-to-none Mt. Markham lead.
"A (Cooperstown) win in that situation would have made it a completely diffeent match," Mt. Markham coach Terry McKane said. "Kyra Treen was huge as a server."
The Mustangs dominated the third game, opening an 18-7 lead on the way to completing the sweep.
Layla Rice led Mt. Markham with 10 kills against Cooperstown while Paige Korosec had seven with two blocks at the net, Addison Jones had 19 assists, and Treen served four of the team's 12 aces.
Senior Elise Courto notched a season-high 22 kills Wednesday and broke New Hartford's career record as her total reached 867. Abby O'Connor added 34 assists to her growing total and Courto served five aces as the Spartans won their 18th consecutive match since a season-opening loss to Rome Free Academy.
Thylia Keoviengsamay had 26 assists and served five aces Tuesday and Kassity Cruz and Elizabeth Hanba combined for 21 kills in Rome Free Academy's 25-11, 25-12, 25-11 win. The Black Knights have won 12 conssecutive matches since their 3-2 loss to New Hartford.
Also playing Tuesday, Clinton got 11 kills from Dakota Deveans, six with three aces from Victoria Maier, and 17 assists from Kelsey Smith in a 25-13, 15-21, 22-25, 25-16 win over No. 9 Oneida which had won on the road against No. 8 General Brown and No. 1 Canastota.
No. 2 Remsen (16-5) bowed out of the Class D playoffs with its 25-21, 25-27, 25-21, 25-19 loss at home against Fabius-Pompey.
Play starts at 10 a.m. Saturday with the Class D match. Class C plays second, followed by Class B and Class A.
This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Mt. Markham, Rome Free Academy return to defend volleyball title in finals
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