Madi Carmona, of the Amsterdam Lady Rams junior varsity volleyball team, served up 12 straight points in a pivotal second game against Broadalbin-Perth at AHS Wednesday night in a battle for first place in the Foothills Council. Nicole DeRose and Krystal Dicaprio also teamed up for nine service points in a thrilling third game, and Alyssa Kuchis came through with six kills leading to a comeback 17-25, 25-15, 31-29 win against BPHS.
“It went back and forth and we had opportunities to win it,” Amsterdam junior varsity coach Chris Crosby said after the comeback win in the third game. “Sometimes it falls our way and sometimes it doesn’t, but luckily for us it went our way. The kids played hard tonight and earned it.”
Tied at a game apiece, the Lady Rams fell behind early in the deciding game after five straight points off the serve of Broadalbin-Perth’s Tesa Brody. The Lady Patriots pushed the lead to 9-3 after a point by Allison McDonald before the Lady Rams began to fight their way back. A pair of aces by Dicaprio cut it to 9-5 and the two teams began to trade side outs until Brody took charge for the Lady Patriots and served her team into the lead at 15-10. After a kill by BPHS’ Adrienne Morreale pushed it to 16-10, the Lady Rams called a time out to regroup then showed they had a lot of fight left in them.
“We always end up in a good place,” Carmona said. “We’re a pretty tight knit team and we keep picking each other up.”
The Lady Rams got the serve back after the time out, and DeRose stepped in to serve up four points pulling AHS to within one of a tie. A kill by Danielle Whinney pushed the BPHS lead to three, but Kuchis delivered a hit of her own giving Dicaprio a chance to inch the Lady Rams closer with another ace. Abigail Saines tied the game at 21-21 for AHS with a point off her serve moments later. Saines would score three points, all in the third game, and all when it mattered most. Sydney Rogers put BPHS on the brink of victory at 23-21 but the next serve went back to the Lady Rams and Lyndsay Suidy tied it again at 23-23. Moments later, AHS stared at defeat when Brody knocked down another kill, but the Lady Rams didn’t blink.
Amsterdam got another chance when the following serve went into the net. Carmona stepped to the line, and the freshman who finished the match with 14 points and three kills, put her team a point closer to victory at 25-24. Brody dug out the next serve and sent it careening low over the net and in to tie the game again. Brody’s serve was then dug out by DeRose who tied it at 26-26. Kills by Kuchis, and BPHS’ Rogers kept each team close before Saines once again found the ball in her hands and served up the last two points for the win.
“We dug down tonight,” Coach Crosby said. “The kids played really well.”
The Lady Patriots took a 21-11 lead in game one before AHS got going. DiCaprio served up five straight points to get the Lady Rams close, but Brody and Elianna Fraser teamed up to serve out the game. Amsterdam got a boost from Carmona in the second game. Tied at 8-8, the freshman ripped off 12 straight points from her serve including four aces to give the Lady Rams a comfortable lead.
“It takes her time to get on a roll,” Coach Crosby said of Carmona. “Once she finds her rhythm she just fires away and keeps hitting them.”
Brody stopped the rally with a kill and got a few points late off her serve, but a pair of side outs put the ball in DiCaprio’s hands and she served up an ace to end game two.
With the win, Amsterdam takes sole possession of first place among junior varsity teams in the Foothills Council. Broadalbin-Perth is close behind at 4-2. The Lady Rams are back in action on Thursday at home to face Scotia-Glenville. The junior varsity match begins at 4:30pm.
BPHS varsity sweeps AHS
Jordan Marshall and Zoe Simonson teamed up for 21 kills to lead the Broadalbin-Perth varsity volleyball team over Amsterdam 25-12, 25-11, 25-11 on Wednesday night at AHS. Senior Gabby Smith contributed 24 assists, 18 points, and four aces for BPHS, senior Megan Ryder had four kills.
Giulianna Pritchard had four kills, four points, once ace and one block for the Amsterdam Lady Rams. Senior Alanna Kaminski had four assists, senior Jessica Anderson had two aces, and Cinderea Chryzynowski came through with 10 digs. Maria Lomanto and Kateland Cooks each had one kill and one block for the Lady Rams who played well against one of the top teams in New York State.
“We came to play tonight,” Amsterdam head coach Chris Sherlock said. “We played the number three team in the state tonight, and if we play like this against any other team we win.”
Amsterdam will honor seniors Alanna Kaminski, Jessica Anderson, and Danielle Heck on Senior Night, Thursday at AHS. Start time for the varsity match is 6pm.
