POPLAR RIDGE - Despite a season-opening 3-1 loss to Watkins Glen on Thursday, Southern Cayuga volleyball coach Anita Furness was full of positives after the match.
Glenn Gaston / Special to The Citizen
Tiffany Green, center, and Carissa Wheeler, left, attempt to block a hit by Watkins Glen's Michelle Thorpe in the Chiefs' season opener Thursday night at Southern Cayuga.
Tiffany Green, center, and Carissa Wheeler, left, attempt to block a hit by Watkins Glen's Michelle Thorpe in the Chiefs' season opener Thursday night at Southern Cayuga.
"They're young, two sophomores, two juniors that came up on varsity (as sophomores)," Furness said.
"So it's only the second year on varsity for some. The rest of the season is awful bright. We've got a lot of fine-tuning, but once it clicks we're golden."
The Chiefs did just fine for opening their season with an IAC favorite, and doing so without their only returning IAC all-star. Sophomore setter Julie Hewitt injured her right thumb but is expected back early next week.
What was obvious was the Chiefs' strength - literally - at their hitting positions, which translated into power serving as well. However, Southern Cayuga is a young team with only three seniors, and sometimes the Chiefs' hitters were a little too anxious. Several times, the ball sailed out of bounds on what looked to be promising spikes and serves.
This season, Southern Cayuga also has height at the net, and three players - Tiffany Green, Lacey Nesbit and Carissa Wheeler - recorded blocks against Watkins Glen.
"I've finally got some height at the line," Furness joked. "It's my turn."
Watkins Glen (1-0) used solid serving to come away with a 25-6 win in the first game. In the second, Seneca coach Krysti Westervelt switched her lineup a bit, and the Chiefs were able to penetrate the Watkins Glen defense for a 25-17 win.
"We didn't do very well in serving in the second game," Westervelt said. "[We] were serving beautifully in the first game and just lost confidence. I also moved around our lineup a little bit, taking them (Southern Cayuga) for granted, and that's why they got us the second game."
Southern Cayuga led for the beginning of both the third and fourth games, but was unable to keep up due to a combination of Watkins Glen serving, a few bad hits and some miscommunication. The Chiefs lost 25-11 and 25-18.
Still, the Chiefs finished much stronger than they started.
"That's our work ethic, that's our goal," Furness said. "Our goal is we're not where we're going to be yet. Everyday we're trying to do better than what we've done."
Mandi Meil led Southern Cayuga with five kills and two aces, while Traci Hewitt had four kills.
Furness is optimistic that the Chiefs will grow up fast - and it might not be too much of a stretch. Southern Cayuga returns five of six starters from last year's squad.
"That first game was nothing great," Furness admitted, "but in game two, Tiffany nails a block right there and the whole place goes, 'Hey, we can do this. She's right, she does know what she's talking about.' Then we step up, we bang a couple of serves home, we set a couple of plays up, Traci bangs a few. And then it's, 'Hey, okay we do know how to do this.' They don't believe it yet, but once they do we're going to be a force to be reckoned with."
Southern Cayuga (0-1) hosts T.A.E on Thursday.
"So it's only the second year on varsity for some. The rest of the season is awful bright. We've got a lot of fine-tuning, but once it clicks we're golden."
The Chiefs did just fine for opening their season with an IAC favorite, and doing so without their only returning IAC all-star. Sophomore setter Julie Hewitt injured her right thumb but is expected back early next week.
What was obvious was the Chiefs' strength - literally - at their hitting positions, which translated into power serving as well. However, Southern Cayuga is a young team with only three seniors, and sometimes the Chiefs' hitters were a little too anxious. Several times, the ball sailed out of bounds on what looked to be promising spikes and serves.
This season, Southern Cayuga also has height at the net, and three players - Tiffany Green, Lacey Nesbit and Carissa Wheeler - recorded blocks against Watkins Glen.
"I've finally got some height at the line," Furness joked. "It's my turn."
Watkins Glen (1-0) used solid serving to come away with a 25-6 win in the first game. In the second, Seneca coach Krysti Westervelt switched her lineup a bit, and the Chiefs were able to penetrate the Watkins Glen defense for a 25-17 win.
"We didn't do very well in serving in the second game," Westervelt said. "[We] were serving beautifully in the first game and just lost confidence. I also moved around our lineup a little bit, taking them (Southern Cayuga) for granted, and that's why they got us the second game."
Southern Cayuga led for the beginning of both the third and fourth games, but was unable to keep up due to a combination of Watkins Glen serving, a few bad hits and some miscommunication. The Chiefs lost 25-11 and 25-18.
Still, the Chiefs finished much stronger than they started.
"That's our work ethic, that's our goal," Furness said. "Our goal is we're not where we're going to be yet. Everyday we're trying to do better than what we've done."
Mandi Meil led Southern Cayuga with five kills and two aces, while Traci Hewitt had four kills.
Furness is optimistic that the Chiefs will grow up fast - and it might not be too much of a stretch. Southern Cayuga returns five of six starters from last year's squad.
"That first game was nothing great," Furness admitted, "but in game two, Tiffany nails a block right there and the whole place goes, 'Hey, we can do this. She's right, she does know what she's talking about.' Then we step up, we bang a couple of serves home, we set a couple of plays up, Traci bangs a few. And then it's, 'Hey, okay we do know how to do this.' They don't believe it yet, but once they do we're going to be a force to be reckoned with."
Southern Cayuga (0-1) hosts T.A.E on Thursday.
