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Cougars earn league title

Cassadaga Valley beats Clymer in four sets in Division 4

By MATT SPIELMAN 5 min read

SINCLAIRVILLE -- Despite getting swept by Clymer earlier this season, Cassadaga Valley had a chance to clinch a league title Tuesday evening.

When sophomore Eliana Katilus' lone ace of the night fell in between a group of Pirates, the Cougars accomplished that goal.

Cassadaga Valley won the first set 28-26 before falling 26-24 in the second set, but rebounded with 25-22 and 25-20 victories to wrap up at least a share of their first title since 2017 in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 4 volleyball inside the Art Asquith Gymnasium.

"They work as a team, they don't give up. They work hard and put everything they have into the game," Cassadaga Valley head coach Melissa Kelly said of her team after the match. "I'm super proud of them."

With a pair of Cougars starters on the bench for the first set, Clymer led by as many as seven, 19-12, but Cassadaga Valley rallied with senior Chloe Lundberg on the service line to make it 20-18 and force a Pirates timeout. Out of the break, Lundberg served an ace and junior Alexis Pattyson followed with a kill to knot the set at 20 apiece.

Clymer regained two-point leads at 22-20 and 24-22, but couldn't close out the set. Eventually a Pirates spike into the net made it 27-26 in favor of the Cougars before Cassadaga Valley took the first set when a Clymer player made contact with the net.

"It's super important to make sure my girls know that we are a complete team. I was confident with whatever team I put on that court tonight," Kelly said. " ... They are a great group of girls, they work together and they never give up."

Back at full strength for the second set, Cassadaga Valley jumped out to leads of 6-3 and 11-7, but could never distance itself from the Pirates. After the second point of the set, the teams were not tied again until Clymer made it 21-all with a block. The Pirates did not lead until sophomore Finley Mitchell's ace made it 24-23. With the score 24-all, sophomore Mikaela Jackson gave Clymer a one-point lead with a kill and junior teammate Keira Kinal followed with a kill to give the Pirates the 26-24 set win.

Clymer led 8-5 when Lundberg took over at the service line in the third set and she put together a seven-point service string that included two aces, and kills from senior Melanie Myles and junior Elizabeth Lewis to eventually give the Cougars a 12-8 lead.

"She's a fighter," Kelly said of Myles, who appeared to injure her arm at one point during the match. "She is super important to our team chemistry out there. She's a leader on that court. She keeps everybody up and motivated. That girl wants to win more than anything."

Trailing by at least two for most of the set, the Pirates made it 22-21 late, but a pair of kills from Pattyson helped Cassadaga Valley take a 2-1 lead on the night with a three-point victory.

"We're on her a lot as coaches to stay aggressive because she gets a little hesitant," Kelly said of Pattyson. "When she gets going, if she just continues to stay aggressive, there's not many people who can touch her."

Clymer went ahead early in the fourth set, but Pattyson took control of the game with a kill, followed by three straight aces to make it 11-8 in favor of the Cougars.

"I told her to just make sure they are in and make sure they are over," Kelly said of Pattyson's service efforts. "It's almost like she's taking a back-row attack so her serving is a huge weapon for us."

Back-to-back kills by sophomore Kailee Lacki and senior Anna Burlingame eventually gave Cassadaga Valley a 17-12 lead.

"She can be another amazing hitter for us. She just has to have the confidence and not be afraid to miss," Kelly said of Lacki. "She just has to keep continuing to swing; when she has that, she's on as well."

The Pirates closed to within three at seven different points down the stretch, but the Cougars closed out the match -- and their league title -- with Katilus' ace from the service line.

Cassadaga Valley (12-3, 8-1) can clinch the championship outright with a win over Sherman next Monday. Clymer (10-5, 7-2) needs the Cougars to lose while also beating North Collins that same night to share the title.

NOTES: Pattyson had 14 kills, six digs, four aces, two assists and a block; Lacki had nine kills, seven digs, an assist and an ace; Myles had 29 assists, six digs, three aces, a kill and a block; Lundberg had four aces, three digs and a kill; Burlingame had seven digs, three kills and an ace; Lewis had nine kills, three digs, two blocks and an ace; junior Kristyn McVey had six digs, two kills and two assists; Katilus had 24 digs and an ace; and senior Mia Fanara had three digs for the Cougars. ... Jackson had 16 kills, seven digs, two aces, a block and an assist; Kinal had 1 kills, a block, a dig and an ace; senior Matilyn Rhines had seven kills, a block, a dig and an assist; senior Harleigh Faulkner had eight kills, 12 digs and an ace; and senior Alyssa Pratt had 10 digs, three assists and two aces for the Pirates.

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