Lakers fall in sectional final
BY CHRIS GILL THE LEADER

GENESEO - Thirty-six free points led to Webster Christian's second straight Section V, Class D title at the expense of Hammondsport Friday, November 3, in Geneseo High School's basement gymnasium. The Lakers' return to the sectional finals after an 18-year absence ended in a sweep, 25- 14, 25-21 and 25-12.

Hammondsport (19-2) never led a game, got as close as one point, but a failure to handle incoming serves crippled the hitters' ability to truly test the Warriors, who were good, to be sure, but certainly not overpowering.

"It was nerves. My young kids played scared to death. That's the way it goes sometimes," sa i d Hammondsport coach Margo Denman. "We were close, we just couldn't perform tonight. I don't know why exactly."

In each game, Webster Christian jumped out to leads of six, eight and four behind Section V, Class D MVP Andrea Szatkopwski's nine service aces. Making matters worse for Hammondsport, th e Warriors never let anything hit the ground. After falling by 11 points in the first game, Webster Christian built a 12-point lead in the second before the Lakers got it together.

Sparked by Kat Bagley's first of two rally aces, the Lakers scored 11 of the next 12 points to pull within one, 21-20, behind two blocks and two kills by Nicole Wright. The highlight of Hammondsport's comeback bid was when Ashlee Travis absolutely tattooed a Webster Christian player with a cannonball to the chin.

However, a few bad points put the Lakers down 24-21 and Warriors' middle hitter Sara Schankat ended the insurgence with a service ace. Hammondsport could not recapture that kind of grit again.

"The first and third games the reason it wasn't close was because we got off to a good run at the beginning with our serving and just held onto it,"

said Warriors coach Mark Heberger. "Once we lost our serve (in the second game), it could have gone either way."

Indeed.

Webster Christian's front row wasn't lined with power hitters, compared to

Hammondsport's, but at times it was an effort just to get the ball over the net. The positives included two separate runs that put the Warriors on their heels and the blocking up front. Hammondsport blocked more than a dozen shots, feasting on Webster Christian's weaker hitters.

"We blocked some good balls, we just couldn't get our offense going the way it should have been," Denman said. "A lot of our younger players are in the back row and they didn't get the passes up to get our offense working tonight. I feel bad for them because they deserve better."

Bagley and Wright were named to the Section V, Class D All-Tournament team.