Strong Spas BROOME COUNTY EAST SPORTS REPORT BX

VOLLEYBALL: WINDSOR FALLS IN CLASS B FINAL TO LANSING (2023-11-04)

By ROB CENTORANI
Broome County East Sports Report
CORNING -- Some inconsistent serving and a highly-talented Lansing squad with perhaps the premiere player in Section 4 dictating play spelled the end to Windsor's volleyball season Saturday night.

The Bobcats (16-1) scored the first five points of the night and went on to a 25-17, 25-19, 25-20 victory over Windsor in the Section 4 Class B final at Corning.

Senior Kayla Palmer set, hit and served better than anyone court, spearheading a Lansing team that took two games for the Black Knights in Thursday's night's pool play tournament at Windsor.

"That was huge," Palmer said of the Bobcats' 28-26, 25-21 win over Windsor on Thursday. "I think it gave us an extra boost of confidence that we needed."

As for Palmer's contributions Saturday, Lansing coach Nicole Lamie said: "There's not going to be another one like her in Lansing for a long time. She's a leader on and off the court and everyone looks up to her."

Added Windsor coach Scott Symons: "I told her afterwards she is an outstanding player. She commands the court. She's really good and she seems like a really nice kid, too."

In the first game, Emma Best's block gave Lansing a 10-2 lead. Windsor crept within, 17-11, on a kill from the right side by Alexis Durdon, but a kill by Best restored Lansing's lead to 23-14.

Windsor took a 3-0 lead in the second game on a kill by Taylen Flynn, an ace from Amariah Argro and a kill by Gabriella Hans, but Lansing answered with an 11-3 spurt.

Palmer faked a set and sent a softie that found hardwood and followed with a block as the Bobcats took an 11-6 lead. Another block by Palmer made it 12-8 and she finished off the game with a kill.

Windsor had trouble stringing points and a big reason for that was its serving. So many serves sailed out of bounds and it kept the Black Knights gaining momentum. It wasn't this Black Knight or that Black Knight. If you wore a Windsor uniform on this day, chances were high you'd have trouble keeping serves in play.

"It was huge," Symons said. "It was awful. We served 60 percent for Game 1 and Game 2. We serve tough, but it didn't work out for us tonight."

Palmer had a kill and an ace as Lansing took a 4-0 lead in the third game, but the Black Knights got back into it. A dink by Ashlee Hagerman followed by an Argro kill as pulled Windsor to 10-9.

But back-to-back kills by Piper Mason had Lansing ahead by 18-11.

A kiil, a dink and an ace by Flynn spearheaded a 5-2 spurt that closed Windsor's deficit to 20-16, but that's as close as the Black Knights would get.

Senior Cassie Bellmore had 17 assists and six digs for the Black Knights, who received seven kills from Hagerman and five apiece from Flynn and Durdon.

Rylie Conrow had 16 digs, Hagerman and Hailey Ryan had seven digs apiece, and Paige Smith had five digs.

"I think we beat expectations," Symons said of his team's season. "I did think we could get to the sectional finals and they got here. It would have been icing on the cake if we could have got by Lansing, but they're a very good team."



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