HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL: INTERSECTIONALS

By Rob Centorani

Staff Writer

Sidney’s volleyball team heads into Saturday’s Class B regional intersectional at Plattsburgh High in less-than-perfect health.

The Section Four and Midstate Athletic Conference champion Warriors (22-0) open Class B pool play at 11:20 a.m. against Section Three’s Cazenovia or Section Seven’s Beekmantown. Each team plays three games against the other two, setting up a championship between the squads with the best pool-play records.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]Section Four Class C champion Delhi (11-8) and Section Four Class D winner Afton (13-7) also will compete in regional intersectionals Saturday.

Sidney coach Christine Smith said Thursday she was not certain of the availability of middle hitter Megan Campbell, who has been ill this past week with the flu.

Also, standout senior Katelyn Guerriere rolled her left ankle at home early this week and has been hobbled in practice, Smith said. Guerriere competed in Friday’s Section Four Indoor Track State Qualifier at Cornell University. Guerriere, who won three events Friday, is expected to join Sidney’s volleyball team Saturday.

The rest of Sidney’s team made the 4½-hour drive to Plattsburgh on Friday. Guerriere, who was eligible to compete in the 55-meter hurdles, long jump and triple jump Friday at Cornell, will drive up separately Saturday, Smith said.

Campbell had 10 kills in Sidney’s 25-23, 25-21, 13-25, 25-23 victory over Windsor last Saturday in the Section Four Class B title game at Owego. Guerriere had 13 digs, 13 blocks, 11 kills and three aces against the Black Knights.

"Right now, I think we’re so excited to be there and we’re going to play our hearts out," Guerriere said after Sidney’s victory last Saturday. "It’s been a dream to get to Plattsburgh. That was our goal from the very beginning of sectionals and we got there."

The Warriors won their first sectional crown in 1999 with a 3-1 Class C victory over Walton. Sidney’s undefeated season follows a 14-6 finish in 2005.

"What I saw started three years ago, when I coached the varsity and the junior varsity," Smith said of Sidney’s improvement from last season. "I have eight seniors and they know my system inside and out. They know what I want and they know how to work for it."

Led by 16 kills from Mandi Britton, Cazenovia advanced with a five-game victory over Marcellus in the Section Three title match.

Delhi, which defeated host Afton in the Section Four Class C-D final last Saturday, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23, 25-17, plays Section Three champion LaFayette and Section Seven winner Northern Adirondack in pool play Saturday at Plattsburgh.

Delhi opens pool play at 11:20 a.m. against LaFayette, then meets Northern Adirondack at 12:40 p.m.

Saturday will mark the third time in the last four years that these three have played in the regional intersectional. The two teams with the best records after pool play advance to the final.

"We’re going to have our hands full," said Delhi coach Beau Bracchy, whose team has failed to advance past pool play in its last two trips to intersectionals.

Senior Cassie Barnes leads Delhi in aces (100) and digs (225). She also has 146 kills this season. Classmate Lauren Iwanow has a team-best 171 kills. She also has 186 assists, 120 digs and 72 aces this winter.

Iwanow switched from middle hitter to setter midway through the season after Carissa Birdsall suffered a season-ending injury to her right knee.

Sophomore Renee Ladlee and senior Amanda Ruggles have 133 and 93 kills, respectively, for Delhi.

LaFayette advanced with a three-game win over Tully in the Section Three Class C final. Hillary Adam had 10 kills.

The Crimson Knights lost to Delhi in the Section Four Class C-D title game last Saturday at Afton, but will still represent Section Four as the Class D champion.

Alyssa Prezorski had 11 digs and seven kills for Afton against Delhi. Teammate Kate Sanford contributed seven aces and five kills.

New York Mills won the Section Three title match in five games over DeRuyter. Cathy Melnikow had 24 kills to lead New York Mills.