The Finger Lakes Community College women’s volleyball team earned the top seed in the Mid-State Athletic Conference Championship, which took place on their home Putt Moore Court on Saturday afternoon.
In their first match of the day, the Lakers contested with the fourth-seeded Lazers of Onondaga Community College. The Lakers excelled in all parts of the game as they swept the Lazers 3-0, extending their win streak against the familiar foe to 14 matches and earning them a spot in the title game.
Setter Payton Stoddard (Bloomfield, N.Y./Bloomfield) put on a standout performance by delivering 32 assists, while also making her defensive presence felt with 3 digs. Anna Kurtzhalts (Grand Island, N.Y./Grand Island) fed off of Stoddard’s set-ups, as the outside hitter poured in a team-high 13 kills in her first career postseason game with the Lakers. Both Jackie Neureuter (Pembroke, N.Y./Pembroke) and Kayce Hennekey (Rochester, N.Y./West Irondequoit) were key pieces to the puzzle, as Neureuter brought in 9 kills and a service ace while Hennekey had a strong hitting percentage of .385 with 6 kills on 13 attempts.
Michelina Williams (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) was a crucial piece of the Lakers’ defensive success, as she contributed a team-high 15 digs. Both Molly Goulette (Newark, N.Y./Newark) and Jackie Neureuter were also key defensive assets, with 6 and 4 digs respectively.
After their clean sweep of the Lazers, the Lakers would earn a trip to the championship match against the two-seeded Cannoneers of SUNY Jefferson, who defeated the Genesee Cougars in a reverse sweep in their semifinal match.
Despite dropping a close first set, the Lakers would remain composed and take the next 3 to claim the victory and take home the 2024 Mid-State Athletic Conference championship. Jackie Neureuter accumulated 20 kills on 48 attempts, which rounded out to a stout hitting percentage of .354. Neureuter contributed a versatile style of play, as she added in 8 digs and 2 service aces as well. Payton Stoddard strengthened the offense and her own already historic sophomore campaign as she had 47 assists in the match, which marks a season-high for her and brings her career playoff-assist total to 293 through just 9 total games.
Anna Kurtzhalts, Emma Balduf (Bergen, N.Y./Byron-Bergen) and Karynn Price (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) all contributed to the offensive ambush, as the three power-hitters totaled 26 kills with a combined hitting percentage of .315. Michelina Williams and Emily Jordan (Portville, N.Y./Portville) each stepped up in a big way, combining for 32 digs and 5 service aces.
For the third consecutive year, FLCC Head Coach Andrew Solomon was named Mid-State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Sophomore Payton Stoddard, who holds the record for all-time career assists within the program, was named Mid-State Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Both Michelina Williams and Anna Kurtzhalts earned 1st Team-All Conference honors, while Jackie Neureuter was named 2nd Team-All Conference and Karynn Price 3rd Team-All Conference.
The Lakers, who closed out the regular season as the #3 team in the nation, are victors of 25 straight matches and have improved their overall record to 26-2. They will look to build on this momentum in their next matchup in the Region III tournament at SUNY Niagara where they will play back-to-back days on Saturday, November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd.
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