Chiefs’ best season since 1980, comes to its end

By Ginna Young It was a storybook season for the Cornell volleyball program, which brought them to the final round of Regional play Oct 24. The No. 2 Chiefs went up against first seed McDonell, on the Macks home court. “Our goal for the match on Saturday, was to compete,” said coach Amy Lorenzen. “We knew the Macks were a strong team. They had strong hitters and played at a higher tempo than we have seen all season.” The Chiefs battled in the first two sets, falling 25-16 in both, before rallying in the third set, to make it a close contest to see who would move on to Sectionals. Although Cornell surprised the Macks with their scrappy defense and tough serves, the game still went McDonell’s way, 25-19, in a 3-0 victory. Senior Alyssa Helland ended the night for the Chiefs with 13 digs, 5 kills and 1 ace, while senior Michaiah Galster had 13 assists. Sophomore Michayla Turchen finished with 6 kills and 10 digs, and junior Jayda Turchen added 3 kills, 3 aces and 8 digs. For seniors Makayla Bleske, Michya Flood, Galster, Helland and Katie Herr, it was the last time setting foot on the volleyball court in their high school careers. However, the seniors can leave with the knowledge that not only did they win the East Lakeland Conference championship for the first time in 40 years, but they also went undefeated in conference action. “I am proud of our team’s performance on Saturday,” said Lorenzen. “We were able to keep the score close and take the lead multiple times throughout the match.” Cutline: Cornell senior Katie Herr (No. 2) does her part to ensure a win over Lake Holcombe in the second round of Regionals Oct. 22. Cornell dropped the first set on their home court, but took the next three from their neighboring rivals, to move on to the final round of Regionals. Photo by Ginna Young