The young Thunderbirds squad surely rebuilt themselves quickly and had a shot at a three-peat of Section VI Class D titles Friday night.

After taking commanding leads in the first two sets against top-seeded Panama, the Thunderbirds were a win away from another title.

In the third set, No. 2 Chautauqua Lake got the very best of Panama, but the Thunderbirds stood strong and held on for the sweep and sectional title 25-22, 25-19, 25-19 at Southwestern Central School.

“This one was pretty special,” Chautauqua Lake head coach Joanne Meadows said. “We graduated seven seniors last year. I think in everybody’s mind it was kind of a rebuilding year. These kids just had such fantastic attitudes, they do every single day. I couldn’t ask for a team that works harder. They’re a selfless team and they’re really focused on each other. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud of a team in my life.”

The Thunderbirds' Ava Olson (6), Brynn Engdahl (1) and Bre Smith (15) raise their team’s sectional championship plaque.

From the start of the night, Chautauqua Lake made its presence known, jumping out to a 7-2 lead in the opening set which triggered a Panama timeout. That cushion was what the Thunderbirds needed, giving enough space for when the Panthers started to find their rhythm.

“I always think volleyball is such a momentum sport,” Meadows said, “so if you can get the momentum on your side that carries you a long way. Especially with young kids, if they see right away that they have a little room to relax then they can relax. When you have a little bit of a cushion to make some mistakes it’s not so nerve-racking.”

Panama managed to get within two points at 24-22, but the damage was already done as Chautauqua Lake clinched the first set 25-22.

If Chautauqua Lake’s start in the first set was good, its second was even better as it jumped out to an 8-1 lead and then a 11-3 that finally triggered a Panama timeout.

The Thunderbirds received a lot of senior leadership. Stepping up on Friday was Ava Olson with four kills, 12 digs, 13 assists and two blocks; Bre Smith recorded six kills and three aces; and Brynn Engdahl put down six kills, two aces and 19 digs.

Photo courtesy of Debbra Bailey Chautauqua Lake’s Ava Olson returns a ball over her head during Friday’s Section VI Class D championship match against Panama at Southwestern Central School.

“I said to the seniors early on their legacy this year is not your win-loss record,” Meadows said. “It’s going to be how you bring these little kids along from the beginning of the season to the end of the season. I think they really stepped up, they were encouraging to the little kids at times they were probably frustrated. They did a fantastic job of encouraging the younger kids and bringing them to where they needed to be.”

The youth stepping up for Chautauqua Lake was freshman Karagan Fairbank, who recorded two kills, 15 digs and six assists; seventh-grader Alice Scarpine, who had 12 digs; and sophomore Jeanine Group, who added five kills.

“Young kids, sometimes they don’t question stuff like the older kids,” Meadows said about the youth. “There’s something to be said for young and dumb sometimes. These kids we played Panama at the beginning of the year with a seventh-grade libero, a bunch of freshmen, an eighth-grade middle hitter and I think nerves got the best of them. I kinda think these little guys had nothing to lose, so they go out there and play their hearts out and it really shows.”

With its back against the wall, Panama knew it had to come out with its best stuff in the third set. The Panthers went back and forth in the early going then a five-point run against spelled doom for them, but they would not go quietly. Panama responded with a six-point run to retake a 10-8 lead and looked to be in control.

“I would say we never had a thought we were going to lose,” Panama head coach Tammy Hosier said about her team’s mindset. “We kept fighting to the bitter end each set, each set they definitely could have given up and they kept going. That third set they were ready to play, got the lead and unfortunately just couldn’t keep it. I can’t explain it, we just didn’t play great volleyball and Chautauqua Lake played great volleyball.”

Panama’s effort was led by Kaitlyn Horton scoring 17 kills, Sarah Harvey putting up seven kills and five digs, Kiera Loberg dishing 27 assists and five digs, Corinne Hovey having 10 digs, Aysia Reed adding six digs, and Emma Cooper recording three kills and three digs.

“This group, we have six seniors and they’ve been with the program forever,” Hosier added. “Some of them were managers and they’ve put so much work and effort into this program. They’ve worked so hard together to be where they’re at and unfortunately this is not the outcome we wanted.”

However, it was not enough as Chautauqua Lake was playing with all the confidence of a team that has won the last two sectional titles. The Thunderbirds rounded out the final set with three four-point runs to clinch their third straight title.

Panama comes up just short of the sectional title, but finished the year with an overall record of 18-2.

Chautauqua Lake (15-2) advances to the Class D Far West Regional next Friday at Letchworth. The Thunderbirds will await the Section V champion which will be determined on Tuesday.