Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Girls’ Volleyball Team Narrowly Misses Victory in State Final

November 25, 2024

Updated: November 25, 2024

GLENS FALLS — The pursuit ‍of victory is a relentless endeavor, ⁣and while it may ⁢not always result in triumph, the journey is often just ⁤as rewarding.

The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake girls’ volleyball team ‌showcased their tenacity and resilience in⁣ the‍ NYSPHSAA Class A championship on Sunday. This‌ marked their fifth consecutive appearance‌ in the championship, but unfortunately, they fell just shy of clinching the title.

The Spartans were defeated by Section 5’s Pittsford Sutherland in a four-set match, with scores of ⁣25-23, 25-23, ‌12-25, 25-17.

“My heart goes out to them, and I’ll share with you⁤ what I shared with my team,” said Burnt Hills head coach Gary Bynon. “I⁤ feel incredibly honored ⁢and ‍privileged to be a part ‍of this program. I never imagined that I would be a part of something so extraordinary. Watching‍ these kids not only⁤ excel in volleyball, but also in their academics, their sportsmanship, and their community involvement — there are no words that can ease their disappointment ⁣— but they make me‌ immensely proud.”

The championship⁢ match was a ‌test of precision and ⁢accuracy, with little room for mistakes.

“I told the kids before the match, ‘I won’t‌ sugarcoat it, this isn’t just another game.’ You have to play like it’s a state championship,” Bynon said.⁢ “We believed it was a serve-receive ‍game, and the team that performed better in these areas would emerge victorious.”

Pittsford Sutherland managed to secure two close 25-23 victories in the first two sets, games that could have swung ⁣either way.

“Losing those two 25-23 games was a tough pill to swallow. Every coach ⁢emphasizes the importance of every point during practice,” Bynon said. “We ‌were leading 23-21 in Game 2, after trailing ⁢9-2. A few points here and ⁣there can make all the difference.”

One⁣ of⁣ the challenges for the Spartans was playing from behind.

“It’s incredibly difficult to claw your way⁤ back from a deficit, and spend the entire game fighting to regain the lead,” said Burnt Hills senior Sophie Chevalier.⁣ “It’s exhausting, and you can’t help but think,‍ ‘if we hadn’t fallen behind,⁣ we could be leading.’ But that’s the ‍nature of the game, and we had to keep pushing.”

Burnt Hills bounced back with‍ a‍ decisive 25-12 victory in the third set, keeping their championship hopes alive. However, Pittsford Sutherland regained their momentum in the fourth set.

Despite the Spartans’ best‌ efforts to ⁢close the gap, the deficit proved ‍too large to overcome.

The loss marked the end of Burnt Hills’ quest for their 10th state ⁢title. This was the Spartans’ 17th state final under⁢ Bynon.

Over the years, Burnt Hills and Pittsford Sutherland⁢ have⁤ developed a familiar rivalry at the event. The Knights ‌have won state titles over the Spartans in 2010, 2013 and 2014, while Burnt Hills claimed a title over Pittsford Sutherland in 2012.

In the pool-play round of the state tournament on Saturday, Burnt‍ Hills ⁣secured ‌a three-set victory over Pittsford Sutherland, with scores of 23-25, 25-20, 15-11.

Going into Sunday’s championship, the Spartans ⁤were prepared for a tough battle.

“Yesterday was a fantastic day for us,” Chevalier said of the pool play. “We were full of energy and kept the pressure on them. Today, they⁣ turned the‌ tables and put the pressure on us.‍ We felt it, especially towards the end.”

Burnt Hills freshman hitter Alex Wemyss led the offense on Sunday with 13 kills.‍ Ava Goodemote added 11 kills, while Sarah Robbins contributed 10 kills and ‍seven blocks.

Cassie Vaughan, Burnt Hills’ setter, recorded 37 assists, ⁣six digs and three blocks. ⁣Chevalier notched five kills and 16 digs, while Ella Chamberlain made seven digs.

Spartan sophomore libero Audri Chamberlain ⁤made a significant impact with 12 digs, saving some of⁢ Pittsford Sutherland’s biggest hits.

“She’s probably made around 500 digs, and she only started playing libero in⁣ October,” Bynon said of Audri ‌Chamberlain. “What she’s ‍going to contribute to‌ this program ‌over the next‍ two years is‍ going to be remarkable. ‍I can’t praise her enough for her performance. Libero is one of the toughest positions to play, and⁢ she ⁢handles it exceptionally well.”

Of the⁣ 16 players on the ⁣Spartans roster, four are graduating.

Seniors Julia Morales, Chevalier, Robbins⁤ and Vaughan concluded their high school volleyball careers with Sunday’s‌ state championship.

“I’ll always ‍remember⁢ the girls on the team, and the invaluable contributions of the coaches,” ⁤Chevalier said of her time with Burnt Hills volleyball. “They do so much more than just teach us volleyball. ‍I’ll ⁢carry with me the‌ life lessons that coach imparted‍ every day.”

Jack Sullivan

Jack Sullivan, an informed and passionate sports reporter, is a former college athlete with a degree in Sports Communication from Ithaca College. Go Bombers!