The Broadalbin-Perth Lady Patriots varsity volleyball team had three players post double digits in service points leading them to a 3-0 victory over their Foothills Council division opponent Amsterdam Lady Rams on Thursday night at Amsterdam High School. BPHS won by scores of 25-7, 25-5, and 25-14.
“I thought we served well again tonight,” Broadalbin- Perth coach Mike Calverllo said. “That’s a big key. If you serve well then the opposing team can’t set up and pass the ball, and that keeps them out of their offense.”
Leading 8-5 in the first game, Lady Patriots sophomore Madison Fariello stepped to the servers line and reeled off seven straight points, and in the process got kills from Eliana Frasier, Sydney Rogers, and Tesa Brody. Broadalbin- Perth led 16-7 when Brody stepped to the line and scored nine points off her serve including an ace to close out the first game. Adrienne Morreale and Cassy Bown contributed kills to aid the BPHS cause.
“Cassy (Bown) served well and had four aces,” Coach Calvello said. “Maddy (Fariello) had five aces and 17 service points. Overall I thought we served pretty well.”
Bown served up five straight points and a pair of aces helping BPHS take a 15-3 lead in the second game. Fariello closed out the game two win scoring the final nine points, and in one sequence had three straight aces. Frasier and Lily Mitchell each came through with three service points and an ace. The final two points were kills by Bown and Brody.
Broadalbin-Perth led 12-6 in the third game when Brody took her place at the service line and came through with five points accented by kills by Bown and Morreale. Brody finshed with 15 points off her serve including three aces. Bown was the server with the score 18-8 and put down three more points aided by a pair of kills by Frasier, who had five of her total eight successful hits in the third and final game. Frasier’s left handed serve later completed the three game sweep.
“Eliana (Frasier) played well tonight,” Coach Calvello said. “She had a tough night against Hudson Falls, but she came back and played well at the Argyle tournament, and tonight as well.”
Frasier added a pair of blocks to her totals. Bown finished with 10 kills, Rogers contributed six service points and a kill, Mitchell added five points and ten assists, and Kayla Weaver and Alison MacDonald each added an assist for Broadalbin- Perth.
Santiago, Kuchis stand out for Lady Rams
The Amsterdam Lady Rams got standout performances from freshman Adriana Santiago and senior Alyssa Kuchis. Santiago had a pair of service points and a pair of kills in the first game. Kuchis aided the Amsterdam cause with a pair of service points including an ace, and three kills. Kuchis also had to contend with a talented Broadalbin-Perth front line, and came through with a pair of blocks against BPHS.
“Alyssa Kuchis is playing really well,” Amsterdam coach Christine Sherlock said. “We don’t have a lot of height, but she has been putting up a good fight at the net. We don’t have that size, but Alyssa has played well against some good competition.”
Kuchis will put the finishing touches on her career when the Lady Rams host the Fonda-Fultonville Lady Braves in their senior night at the AHS gym on Monday, October 23. Her first year-varsity teammate Santiago is ready to step up, and her desire to play the game was obvious to Coach Sherlock from the beginning.
“She was like a gift to me,” Coach Sherlock said of the talented freshman from Puerto Rico who has been playing volleyball since she was six years old.
“Adriana (Santiago) was waiting outside the school after a practice and she asked me if she could play. I asked her where she could play and she said wherever you need me to play. She said she loved to set, and she would be a setter. I asked her about playing libero and she said she was ready. When it came to hitting she said she loved to hit. She’s the type of kid you want to have on the team. She can do anything.”
Sherlock has had players who could play any position on the court in the past.
“She reminds me of Cinderea (Chryzanowski) and Bayley (Archinal),” Sherlock said. “She has that mentality that she wants to win every game. I’m looking forward to seeing her grow.”
The Lady Rams also got a boost from junior Lily Orengo who made an appearance in game three and recorded a point off her serve. Orengo missed the entire 2017 spring sports season with a leg injury, but has battled all the way back through a lengthy rehab to continue to play high school sports. AHS also got a lift from another freshman, Elaine Perez who came in to the game late and started to rally the Lady Rams with a pair of service points. Junior Nicole Derose also added a pair of points, and Mady Carmona added a pair of kills for Amsterdam.
The Lady Rams will be on the road for three contests next week beginning with Monday’s match at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons. Amsterdam follows that with a visit to Berne-Knox-Westerlo High School on Wednesday, and finishes the week with a match against Foothills Council foe Johnstown at Warren Street Elementary School.
Broadalbin-Perth has a pair of Foothills Council contests next week beginning with the Lady Patriots senior night at Broadalbin-Perth High School when they face Johnstown. BPHS wraps up the 2017 Foothills Council campaign with a Friday match at Scotia- Glenville High School. Victories in both matches would give the Lady Patriots an unbeaten record in the Foothills Council South Division.
