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‘Dream’ lives on

Fredonia advances to B2 final with 3-0 win over Springville

FREDONIA -- Two years ago, the Fredonia 'Billies were Section VI champions. This year, they will play for that honor again, and their coach believes they deserve the crown as much as any team she has ever coached.

"I haven't had a team this unified, where everyone wants this, everyone is willing to put in what it takes to get there," Fredonia head coach Amanda Krakowiak said. "It's a dream to have a team like this. They have the heart and they really, really want this. It's just amazing to work with a group of girls like that."

Fredonia claimed its spot back in the sectional title game with a victory over the Springville Griffith Griffins 25-8, 25-10, a 25-12 in Monday's Class B2 semifinal volleyball match at Fredonia High School.

"We have a really good connection. Getting these big wins like this one is really amazing, to be able to do that with everyone we've grown so close with over the years," said Fredonia senior Elly Saunders.

The 'Billies essentially brought back the same team it had a year ago. But the story of this year's team dates back to two years ago when the 'Billies won the sectional championship with a win over Southwestern, then with a win over Depew in the Class B crossover.

"One of the things I had preached to that team a couple years ago was, 'You guys are paving the path for the future, creating this opportunity for the future teams here at Fredonia. They are going to look up to you and they are going to see that this team was able to do it,'" Krakowiak said.

Many of the players on the senior-led team this year were along for the ride two years ago. Londyn Wilmot played a key role on the sectional championship team as a sophomore, while Elly Saunders watched as her sister, Maddie, was a major contributor during her senior season. Now, two years older, the Class of 2027 has found itself back in the same spotlight.

"It feels amazing," Elly Saunders said, noting that it feels like she is following in her sister's footsteps. "Getting an opportunity like this is like no other. It's a really great experience."

Last night, Fredonia (12-5, 2-seed) scored the game's first two points on kills by Wilmot and Saunders. Springville Griffith (10-10, 6-seed) responded with four straight points for an early lead, but things evened out from there, as the first 10 points were split evenly at five apiece.

Fredonia scored the next five points, including violent kills from Wilmot and Maddie Krakowiak, prompting a Springville timeout. Fredonia scored the next point out of the timeout before Springville put an end to the run at six straight points.

"We were able to finish the play with a lot of kills," Wilmot said.

The 'Billies scored six of the next seven points to extend the lead to double digits, 17-7, before another Springville timeout. The break did not make things any better for the Griffins, as Fredonia punctuated the opening set with eight of the final nine points after the timeout to claim the first set, 25-8.

Just like it did in the previous match, Fredonia's momentum carried over from the first set to the second. The 'Billies scored seven of the first eight points in the second set. The next eight points were split evenly, but Fredonia responded with another run of seven out of eight points to extend its lead to 18-6. The 'Billies held a double-digit lead the rest of the second set on the way to a 2-0 advantage.

Prior to the game, Krakowiak said she talked to her team about how it needed to clean things up from the previous contest with bigger things on the horizon. Fredonia did just that on Monday, as the result never felt in question.

The third set was the most competitive of the three, with both teams matching each other at 5-5 and again at 9-9. Even then, Fredonia pulled away with six out of the next seven points for a 15-10 lead. After a timeout with Fredonia leading 18-11, the 'Billies put the finishing touches on the victory with seven of the final eight points of the evening. The strong finish sent the Fredonia seniors off their home court as winners for the final time.

"This was a great way to send them off on the rest of their playoff journey with a nice, solid win at home. It's something very special for them to remember their time here at Fredonia," Krakowiak said.

"I'm really excited that we were able to have two home playoff games. It's really an honor," Wilmot said. "We're hoping to carry that enthusiasm and that pride into our next game."

Fredonia had a strong hitting game on Monday, with 50 kills as a team -- 18 more than in their quarterfinal victory over Salamanca. Wilmot and Saunders combined for 30 kills, while Jordan Morris and Maddie Krakowiak each had seven apiece.

Fredonia's defense was also stronger on Monday, totaling 39 digs as a team. Five 'Billies had at least five digs, led by Alyse Bugaj, who had nine digs to go with her team-high 38 assists and three aces. Wilmot also had five digs, four assists, and three aces.

Saunders said she could not have done what she did last night without the passing and setting from her teammates.

"The stats tonight were not just from me, that's from everyone on the court," Saunders said. "It's good that we're getting to play as a family. We've grown so close that it really does feel like a family on the court."

Just before Saunders proved it, Krakowiak praised the entire team's unselfish mentality.

"The girls had their goals and they worked very well together as a team. That's another piece that I'm really proud of with this group of girls. They are so cohesive. They really support one another and really know how to work well together. … It really is about the team for everyone," Krakowiak said. "We can attribute our success to that teamwork, that unity that these girls have."

Up next, Fredonia will face its toughest test yet in the title game when the 'Billies face top-ranked Eden on Wednesday at Cheektowaga High School at 7:30 p.m. Eden defeated Cleveland Hill three sets to none on Monday in the other semifinal.

"It feels really good. We've all been talking about it and we all really want it. We're going to give it our all," Wilmot said. "Keeping up our energy is a big part of our game. We've seen Eden before, and we definitely didn't perform well, so I think just being confident and trying our best is what's going to get us there. They have some strong hitters, and I think our blocking has been pretty on recently, so trying to shut them down that way is going to help us out."