Wednesday Roundup: Wellsville, Fillmore girls tennis start Sectional journeys strong, move into Semifinal round following big home wins; Lady Rebels eclipse 10-win plateau with win over Fri/Scio

WELLSVILLE — The hunt for Sectional glory was officially on. For the Lady Lions of Wellsville, it was a feeling of pure bliss and excitement they hope to recapture for the memory bank once again.

The defending Class B2 Champions entered this year’s installment of the playoffs as the top seeds, as they looked to take a big step forward towards a successful game one of their title defense on Wednesday. With a wall of rain rapidly approaching Wellsville, there were only four matches that graced the stage.

The Lady Lions would not let Mother Nature deter them from their path, as their title defense commenced with a dominant performance against No. 8 Marcus Whitman on their home court, rolling to a 4-0 victory over the Lady Wildcats.

Wellsville (14-1) set the pace behind strong victories across all three singles matches, as Samantha Bidzerkowny, Hanna Miles and Peyton Cawley all posted straight-set victories, with Bidzerkowny scoring a 6-1, 6-1 win at first singles, Miles recording a near-shutout in a 6-1, 6-0 win at second singles, and a close first set for Cawley turning into a strong finish at third singles to claim the 6-4, 6-1 win.

The second doubles team of Shayla Cowan and McKenna Wonderling helped round off the victories with a 6-1, 6-1 win. The first doubles match did not take place, due to the rain.

Wellsville is now on to the Class B2 Semifinal round, where they will now take on either No. 5 Lyons or No. 4 North Rose-Wolcott on Friday at a time and place to be determined.

Singles

1. Samantha Bidzerkowny (WLSV) def. Hailey Wiggins (MW), 6-1, 6-1.

2. Hanna Miles (WLSV) def. Ana Rangel (MW), 6-1, 6-0.

3. Peyton Cawley (WLSV) def. Shaylynn Christler (MW), 6-4, 6-1.

Doubles

1. Did not take place (rained out)

2. Shayla Cowan/McKenna Wonderling (WLSV) def. Ava Gage/Lilly Gage (MW), 6-1, 6-1.

No. 3 Fillmore 3, No. 6 Wayland-Cohocton 2

HOUGHTON — In both of their regular season battles, Wayland-Cohocton and Fillmore battled until the very end with one match ultimately serving as the difference maker.

The No. 3 Lady Eagles have come out on top in both matches with 3-2 victories during the regular season. When the brackets were revealed for day one of their Sectional hunt, there was a very real possibility that they could go for a perfect three-game sweep of the No. 6 seeds.

And thus, that day arrived in its entirety, Wednesday night at Houghton University. And once again, it would all come down to the very last match of the night, this time with their 2024 seasons hanging in the balance.

A back-and-forth highwire act between Fillmore’s Greta Kettinger and Tori Tetta against Wayland-Cohocton’s Felecity Velez-Rivera and Ruby Yacono at second doubles. For the Lady Eagles duo, they would have to work their way back after a strong start in the opening set of action. They would do just that, settling in to deliver a massive tiebreak win in the third and final set to officially lock up Fillmore’s trip to the Semifinal round, eliminating Wayland-Cohocton with yet another 3-2 victory.

“Tonight’s match was incredibly close. We managed to beat them 3-2 twice during the regular season, with both matches coming down to the wire in doubles. Tonight was no different,” Lady Eagles coach Randy Crouch said. “Claire (Schilke) was dominant at first singles and got us started. Lena (Tucker) and Kirra (Bentley) played, by far, their best match of the season and really overwhelmed a team they had played two good matches with. The match of the night was at second doubles, where Tori and Greta played a first great set. Unfortunately, they let off the gas a little and Way-Co’s team got a big lead they couldn’t overcome in the second.

Crouch continued on the second doubles match, noting that “For two girls that have been playing tennis for only two months, they showed a lot of composure being down to match point in the third. They won a huge point to get it to a tiebreaker. Once they got there, they settled in and played really well to get us the decisive victory. I couldn’t be more proud of the team. We have come a long way since last season, and have improved every day this season.”

Kettinger and Tetta went on to clinch the first Sectional win for Fillmore (9-4) in thrilling fashion, winning by a 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (4) count over Velez-Rivera and Yacono. The second doubles win was part of a doubles sweep the Lady Eagles would score against Wayland-Cohocton, as the first doubles team of Lena Tucker and Kirra Bentley took control from start to finish to come away with a strong 6-2, 6-4 win over Cora Hosmer and Grace Bondgren.

Fillmore gathered one more victory in singles competition, in dominant fashion from first singles competitor Claire Schilke, as she shutout Wayland-Cohocton’s Virginia Carr with a 6-0, 6-0 victory.

The visiting No. 6 seeds accounted for the remaining two victories on the match docket, with Ava Senka claiming a 6-2, 6-4 win over Fillmore’s Molly Mahoney at second singles, while Lillian Scholtes scored a close 6-3, 6-4 decision over Indigo Knapp at third singles.

Fillmore now shifts gears to the Class B2 Semifinal round, which will begin tonight, as they hit the road for a visit to No. 2 Avoca-Prattsburgh beginning in a 4 p.m. first serve in Prattsburgh.

Singles

1. Claire Schilke (FIL) def. Virginia Carr (W-C), 6-0, 6-0.

2. Ava Senka (W-C) def. Molly Mahoney (FIL), 6-2, 6-4.

3. Lillian Scholtes (W-C) def. Indigo Knapp (FIL), 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles

1. Lena Tucker/Kirra Bentley (FIL) def. Cora Hosmer/Grace Bondgren (W-C), 6-2, 6-4.

2. Greta Kettinger/Tori Tetta (FIL) def. Felecity Velez-Rivera/Ruby Yacono (W-C), 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (4).

GIRLS SOCCER

Fillmore 2, Wellsville 1

FILLMORE — Things got a bit interesting towards the tail end of battle in Fillmore, Wednesday night. Having control of the lead for the majority of the game, the Lady Eagles of Fillmore saw visiting Wellsville make one last final push to try and turn the tide in their favor with a deficit-carving goal with less than three minutes remaining.

Despite it, the Lady Eagles managed to strap down and hang on for dear life, as Grace Clark came out to claim possession of the ball off one last attempt from the Lady Lions to tie the game next to the horn, as they avoided back-to-back defeats with a massive bounce back victory by a 2-1 count under the lights.

“Tonight was a good rebound effort from us. Wellsville makes things tough for you, but I thought that the girls really responded coming off our loss,” Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley said. “Our first half effort and quality of play really set the tone tonight. We were without our sweeper Mattie (McCumiskey) and the girls physically have been in some tough battles this last week. But tonight, they rose to the occasion. They keep on finding ways and always give it their all. It makes them really easy to coach. Late in the game, we didn’t manage the game like we have and gave up a goal on a mistake, but we will learn from it.”

Fillmore (12-1) took advantage right out of the gate, putting the Lady Lions immediately on their feet with an abundance of pressure, as well as some terrific ball movement. After a lengthy midfield fight for possession elapsed through the first 25 minutes of the half, the Lady Eagles began setting the tone with a two-goal sequence in just two minutes, beginning with Tenlee Miller splitting through the Lady Lions defense after receiving a throw-in from in front of the Wellsville bench.

An initial shot provided by Miller redirected off a defender in front, which allowed Miller to poke home the available rebound to the right side of goalkeeper Lydia Kaye to smash through the facade with a 1-0 lead. Not long after, the pistons continued to churn for the hosts in green, as Morghyn Ross did double the damage from near the top of the Wellsville (5-8) 18 on the far side of the field. Ross went on to deliver a direct kick that showcased the perfect height and speed on goal to zip over Kaye’s head in net and right to the far post for a 2-0 lead going into the break.

The advantage was maintained, and then some late in the second half, with Fillmore nearly garnering another piece of insurance on a return back into the Wellsville zone led by Ross. After skipping a pass to Kallie Pastorius, she let an attempt go right at Kaye, but the ball rapidly sputtered around the near post and out of harm’s way.

In the waning moments of battle, the Lady Lions went all-in on a final push against the Lady Eagles, cashing in on a late score from Alexa Hennessy in the middle of the field, booting an absolute missile that took a heavy bounce past Grace Clark in goal and into the near side with 2:30 left to play. But that shot would be the only strike Wellsville would receive, as Fillmore held down the fort to secure the win in the end.

The Lady Eagles finished the game with a strong 15-7 shot advantage against Wellsville, with Clark making six saves to collect the win. On the opposite end, Kaye set aside 13 shots for the Lady Lions, who are now off until Tuesday night, as they travel to Judy Bliven Field in Belmont to meet Genesee Valley/Belfast in a 7 p.m. contest.

Fillmore will hop back onto the field on Friday, hosting Friendship/Scio in a 7 p.m. contest of their own.

Cuba-Rushford 2, Friendship/Scio 0

CUBA — Senior Night was in full effect for the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford, Wednesday night in the midst of a brisk evening on the pitch. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, it was a night of celebration that the Lady Rebels made the most of, as their seniors spent one of their final times together building off great success, eclipsing the 10-win mark for the first time in the Aaron Wight era with a 2-0 shutout of Friendship/Scio.

“This group of seniors has been a pleasure to coach. A few of them have been on Varsity since eighth grade so it’s going to look and feel a lot different at preseason without them there next year,” said Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight. “Tonight was cold and wet, and these types of games can be scary sometimes. You never really know what you’re going to get. I thought we showed up ready to go right out of the gate. Credit to Friendship/Scio, they battle from start to finish and are well-coached. This is a busy week for us with four games in six days. Now, hopefully we can build on this momentum we’ve picked back up following the loss on Saturday.”

The Cuba-Rushford (10-2-1) offense was on fire from beginning to end, as they accumulated 26 total shots against Friendship/Scio in the midst of their 26-2 advantage in the shots department. After an early first half battle that elapsed through the first 20 minutes of play, the Lady Rebels kicked it into high gear with not one, but two rapid goals in a span of 1:55 to set the tone of their visiting opposition.

The first of which began from Cloey Larabee, who wasted no time from the top of the Friendship/Scio (4-7-1) 18 to bury an absolute rocket to the back of the net to break open the scoring. A short time later, the lead was doubled at an instant, as Cuba-Rushford saw Larabee deliver a perfectly-placed cross to the front, meeting the top of Lily Tompkins’ head for the marker with 14:08 remaining.

A 2-0 lead the hosts in blue never looked back on until the final horn sounded.

While the offense was in the midst of setting the tone early on, the defense was cemented in place to keep Friendship/Scio off the board, as Annaleece Melton made two saves to score the shutout in between the posts. On the other side of the pitch, Avery Lamberson made 24 saves for the visitors.

Both teams will return to action over the road on Friday, with the Lady Rebels paying a 6 p.m. visit to Andover to take on host Andover/Whitesville, while Friendship/Scio heading further up north for a 7 p.m. meeting with the Fillmore Lady Eagles.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 6, Andover/Whitesville 1

BELFAST — On a chilly Wednesday night for soccer, the Genesee Valley/Belfast girls were able to send all nine of their seniors out in style at the Rich Sullivan Complex in Belfast on Wednesday, as they used a massive second half to break away from visiting Andover/Whitesville’s grasp, keeping their foot down on the gas to score a 6-1 victory.

The very first goal of the game for Genesee Valley/Belfast (11-1-1) was a special one. With 15:25 left in the first half, Charisma Metatos was able to get a touch on a corner kick sent towards the front of Andover/Whitesville net, knocking it in to record her first career Varsity goal to help break open the scoring. A two-goal cushion was later created with 2:01 left, as Bayleigh Tallman remained red hot on the front line with her first of three goals, scoring on a breakaway pass sent up by Sophie Zillgitt.

Four more goals were connected upon by the hosts, with Zillgitt connecting with one of her own off a pass sent along by Hannah Southwick-Powers in the first 10 minutes of the second half to take a 3-0 lead on Andover/Whitesville (3-10) before it was trimmed back down to a two-goal buffer by Makenna Vance’s marker just five minutes later for the visitors, scoring off a pass sent along by Leigha Phelps.

The response Genesee Valley/Belfast provided shortly after was just as quick. Just two minutes removed from the Andover/Whitesville strike, Danika Scott absolutely buried home a direct kick to the back of the net to extend their lead back out to a trio of goals before Tallman finished off the goal-scoring past the halfway mark of the frame with two more scores, completing her hat trick off passes from Zillgitt and Southwick-Powers.

The six goals were totaled off 16 total shots on the attack, as Genesee Valley/Belfast went on to claim a 16-3 advantage in the shots department. In goal, the victory belonged to Morgan Yackeren in between the posts, making two stops. On the opposite end, Olivia Waters made 10 saves for Andover/Whitesville.

Both teams are back on the field Friday night, with Genesee Valley/Belfast heading up the road to Judy Bliven Field in Belmont to host a 5 p.m. contest with Bolivar-Richburg, while Andover/Whitesville heads back home for a 6 p.m. visit from Cuba-Rushford in Andover.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Keshequa 3, Genesee Valley/Belfast 0

BELMONT — Genesee Valley/Belfast gave visiting Keshequa a tough fight right from the start, nearly pushing the action in The Jungle to extra serves. But the Lady Wildcats were able to squeeze it out on top, carrying a heavy load of momentum along the way to set up a big straight-set victory by a 25-23, 25-9, 25-10 count on Wednesday.

Leading the scoring for Genesee Valley/Belfast (2-9) was Tayla Brenna, who scored 14 service points — 10 of them consecutively coming in the opening set of play, pairing them with six aces from the back line. Following behind was Mackenzie Button, who chipped in four kills, two digs and an ace off the bench as a substitute.

“My serving specialist Tayla did an amazing job keeping us in game one and scoring 10 straight points and Mackenzie came off the bench and showed some really great improvement as well,” GV/Belfast coach Darren Bradt said. “She did a great job as a first-year senior coming into a game and jumping into multiple positions that she’s never played before. Besides that, we’re just struggling with realizing that in order to compete, we need to put all the pieces to the puzzle together.”

Genesee Valley/Belfast is right back on their home floor tonight for a 7:30 p.m. visit from Houghton Academy.