The Canton modified volleyball team dropped a close 2-1 match to the Gouverneur Wildcats on Thursday in Gouverneur. Each set was very competitive and decided by three points or less, and the first two sets went into extra points. The Bears, playing their third straight road game, grinded out a 26-24 win in the first set, and the Wildcats won the second set 26-24 and the third set 25-22.
The first set went back-and-forth and saw the score tied 13-13. Lily Abplanalp then nailed five aces in a 7-4 run for Canton to put the Bears up 20-17. The score was tied 24-24, but the Bears scored two straight and Lily Todd delivered a kill on set point to give Canton a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Wildcats got off to a hot start in the second set racing out to an 8-0 run and eventually built that to 11-4. The Bears kept fighting and battled back to pull within 17-12 thanks to three aces from Delia Gaurin. Gouverneur then opened a 22-16 lead, but Canton responded again with four straight points, including three aces from Maria Franklin, to pull within two. The Wildcats led 23-21 and then the Bears’ Taylor Stone reeled off three straight aces to put Canton back on top. Gouverneur went on to win the next three points and even the match, 1-1.
The third and final set went back-and-forth in the early going. Gouverneur broke open a 7-7 tie with seven straight points to go ahead 14-7. The Wildcats then led 20-15, but Canton never gave up and rallied to get within two with three straight points, two of them coming off aces from Arieana St. Andrews. Gouverneur would not give up the lead and finished off the match winning by three.
It was a total team effort by the Bears, as every player contributed at some point in the match. Gaurin led the Bears with four kills, four aces, and two digs. Abplanalp finished with six aces and a kill. Todd ended the match with three aces and two kills. St. Andrews added two digs and an assist to her two aces. Zizi Metcalf contributed three aces and one kill. Stone finished with four aces. Hayley Hamlin had two kills. Skye Perrin had one assist and one dig. Sophie Chen chipped in with two aces and a kill, and Neiva Rodriguez and Lia Montanaro each had a kill.
The Bears continue their road travels as they’ll play at Chateaugay on Monday, Sept. 25 at 5 p.m.