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By BOB GOETZ
CHATEAUGAY — One thing will be for certain this weekend in the New York State Girls' Volleyball Championships: There will be a new Class D champion.
And given Chateaugay's showing the past two years, you have to like the Bulldogs' chances.
Chateaugay (20-0-1), Shelter Island (16-0) of Section XI (Long Island), Cattaraugus Little Valley (21-2) of Section VI (Buffalo area) and T.A. Edison (18-3) of Section IV (Elmira) will enter pool play at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Glens Falls Civic Center. They will play each other in two games to 25 points with the two teams with the best records advancing to Sunday's Class D final.
Chateaugay made it to Sunday last year before bowing to Portville of Section VI, 25-22, 25-21, 14-25, 29-27.
Coach Chris Reynolds was not at all disappointed in coming up short in 2008.
"We had a great day on Saturday and made a heck of a comeback to get there," he recalled. "But Portville was a very, very skilled team. We made a run at it."
That first final appearance made quite an impression on Reynolds.
"If we learned anything, it was how important every single point is. We played very well in the first two games and lost by 3 and 4 points. The third game we won easily and in game 4, we had a 22-13 lead. We had five chances to get one point and force a fifth game, but didn't get it," Reynolds related.
"We had been extremely aggressive and definitely had the momentum up to that point. Then, two series in a row we got careful and just dumped it over the net. Portville regained the momentum ...
"Looking back, we should have taken a chance at hitting the ball, instead of dumping it."
With nine seniors on the team, Chateaugay has considerable playoff experience, and at the state level.
Annie Smith, Cindy Harrigan and Erika LaBombard will be making their third trip to the state tournament while Michelle Swanston was a member of last year's Class D runner-up squad.
"I think our experience has got to help, at least, we hope it helps," Reynolds added.
The Bulldogs know little of their opponents, but that's okay with Reynolds.
"Just what we read on the Internet," he said. "They're all very successful teams, obviously.
"But we can't worry about them, we have to worry about what we're going to do."
Chateaugay will start out with Thomas A. Edison High School at 9 a.m.
The Edison Spartans have had success with the pool-play format, compiling a 6-0 record in sectional play before knocking off Candor, 3-2, to win the Section IV Class D crown. They advanced to the Final Four by beating S.S. Seward, 3-0.
Edison has scrimmaged perennial Class AA state power Horseheads and played Tioga, a Class C semifinalist, to get ready for this weekend.
Chateaugay also fared well in pool play in the Lake George Tournament earlier this season. The Bulldogs split with Loudonville Christian, also a Class C semifinalist, and Class B school Glens Falls.
"It was a very good tournament and I thought we did well against some very good competition," Reynolds said.
"Momentum is big in pool play. You want to get out to a good start."
The Bulldogs will be relying on their serving and serve receiving to get off on the right foot.
"That's going to be key. If we can do those two things well from start, I think we can play with these very good teams."
Cattaraugus-Little Valley, from the southwestern corner of New York State, will be making its first trip to the state Final Four since 1999.
The Lady Timberwolves are led by the coach's daughters — eighth-grader Sara Crandall, who had 19 kills and 18 digs in the 3-0 sweep of Lyons last week, and Erin, who added eight kills and 16 digs.
While Cattraugus-Little Valley is still looking for its first state title, Section VI produced two state champions in 2008 — Portville in Class D and Salamanca (Class C).
Shelter Island has reached the state tourney three times in the last four years, only to be turned back each time by Haldane, a two-time state champion. The Indians finally cleared the Haldane hurdle last week, beating the Blue Devils 28-26, 25-21, 24-26, 25-19.
Shelter Island is the first Island squad to reach the state semifinals undefeated.
The Chateaugay Bulldogs will leave for Glens Falls at 11 a.m. today. They will practice at Hudson Falls High School this afternoon. All 20 teams (4 in each of five classes) will then attend a banquet at the Civic Center tonight.
Chateaugay Bulldogs (20-0)
Coach: Chris Reynolds
Assistant: Larry Barcomb
Stats courtesy of SectionXSports.com
Name MP Kills Asts Aces Blks Sets Digs Pts
Cindy Harrigan, sr, setter 20 35 50 51 3 0 0 180
Michelle Swanston, sr, set 20 42 22 33 4 0 0 128
Amanda Woodward, jr, hit19 0 0 26 0 0 0 98
Annie Smith, sr, hitter 19 179 0 31 5 0 0 70
Erika Labombard, sr, set 19 16 123 13 2 0 0 61
Stepanine Boyea, sr, hitter19 17 2 7 0 0 0 33
Kierstin Zeldenrust, jr, hit 19 6 0 4 0 0 0 30
Sara Lane, sr, hitter 19 5 0 0 0 0 0 9
Mikayla Patnode, hitter 4 0 5 3 0 0 0 5
Leah Cook, sr, hitter19 0 3 3 0 0 0 5
Allison Soulier, jr, hitter 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kaitlin Legacy, hitter 4 11 0 0 0 0 0 0
Emma Allen, sr, hitter19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Katelyn Lapan, sr hitter 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
