ESM girls volleyball increases win streak to 10
Jan 19, 2025
CENTRAL NEW YORK – Ever since late December, the East Syracuse Minoa girls volleyball team has run through all of its opposition, some of it in long battles, others far more lopsided.
Starting a stretch of three matches in four days the Spartans swept Utica Proctor 25-22, 25-17, 25-13 last Monday night for its eighth consecutive victory.
Many of Kristina Levkovich’s 22 assists went to Erin Murnane, who led with 11 kills. Morgan Palmer and Katelyn Davis each got five kills, Avery Wood adding four kills as Leah Rehm produced 13 digs. Levkovich and Palmer had seven digs apiece.
A night later at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, ESM again got a sweep, taking the first and third sets 25-16 with a 25-13 second set in between to handle the Red Devils.
Leah Rehm doubled her total to 26 digs and Bailey Rehm, with nine assists, aided Levkovich, who got 16 assists. Murnane managed 12 digs as she and Victoria Marano both earned six kills behind Palmer’s nine kills and Davis getting seven kills. Marano earned five aces and Leah Rehm added four aces.
Another road trip followed Thursday night, the Spartans going to Holland Patent and dropping the first set 25-22. However, ESM would rally, winning the next two sets 25-21 and 25-20 before closing out the Golden Knights 25-14 in the fourth to make it nine wins in a row.
Earning 50 digs, Leah Rehm anchored a back line where Levkovich had 27 assists and Bailey Rehm 12 assists to go with 15 digs. Palmer put away 17 kills, adding three aces as Davis got 12 kills and Murnane 11 kills to go with 18 digs. Marano got six kills.
Amid all this, Christian Brothers Academy continued its winning form, dominating last Tuesday’s mach with Faith Heritage and prevailiing 25-12, 25-15, 25-17 over the Saints.
Improving to 5-1 overall, the Brothers were led by Rachel Zdep and her 25 assists. She distributed it around, with Carleah Morgia and Neveah Bacheyie each getting nine kills, Julie Zdep seven kills and Olivia Jones five kills. Katie Pledger added seven digs.
CBA and ESM both won on Saturday afternoon, with the Brothers needing five sets to rally past Whitesboro.
After winning the opener 25-23, the Brothers lost the next two sets 25-21 and 25-19, only to turn it around by winning the fourth 25-16 and then, in a tense final set, needing multiple match points to win it 16-14.
Through it all, Morgia amassed 23 kills adding 14 digs, while Bacheyie had 11 kills and 12 digs. Julie Zdep earned eight kills as Pledger earned 13 digs and Rachel Zdep accumulated 31 assists.
Far quicker was ESM’s three-set win with Fabius-Pompey even though it involved 25-23 first and third sets with a 25-18 set in between.
As the Spartans’ win streak stretched to 10, Palmer secured 12 kills and 13 digs, Murnane getting nine kills and 10 digs to equal Davis as Leah Rehm produced 34 digs and Bailey Rehm 19 assists helped by Gia Randall’s 14 assists.
Manlius Pebble Hill played Thursday and dropped a long opening set 29-27 before the Falcons took the next two sets 25-21 and 25-10 for the sweep led by Izzy Burton’s 10 kills and 12 digs plus 12 assists and 14 digs from Elsa Hull.
Then, in Friday’s match against Chittenango, the Trojans lost the first two sets by close 25-22 and 25-21 margins, rose up to win the third 25-14 and nearly pushed the match further before dropping a long fourth set 29-27.
India Clary-Sohriakoff earned 34 digs, while Laura Kinane managed 24 assists and 14 digs. Ruby Butler and Annie Ward had 13 digs apiece, Rainbow Butler adding 12 digs as Caroline Bernazzani had six kills and three blocks. Nora McGee added five kills.