HORSEHEADS, N.Y. - Tioga and Waverly both advanced to their respective Section IV championship games in volleyball action here Thursday at the middle school field house, but they went about it in much different fashions.
The Lady Tigers needed a sweep of Candor in its final two games to finish second in pool play, while Waverly needed help from Chenango Valley to avoid a one-game playoff with Lansing.
Tioga pulled out a pair of wins over Candor by scores of 25-17 and 25-21 to advance.
"I haven't been nervous or anxious at Sectionals in a long time," said Tioga coach Des Ford. "I was tonight.
"Hats off to our girls, they played outstanding," added Ford.
The Lady Tigers will face unbeaten Harpursville in the Class D championship match Saturday at 7:30 in Watkins Glen.
Waverly finished pool play at 3-3 and was forced to watch as Lansing and Chenango Valley - both 1-3 entering their match - took the floor. A Lansing sweep would have left them 3-3 and forced a playoff with Waverly to see who would advance to take on pool winner Edison, who finished at 5-1.
For Waverly coach Kesha Sinsabaugh, having another team determine her team's fate was no fun.
"It was horrible. Sitting there waiting and watching and having no control was nerve-wracking," said Sinsabaugh.
Chenango Valley, however, ended any chances of a playoff with a 25-15 win in the first game.
The Lady Wolverines will square off with Edison at 5:30 p.m. in the Class C title tilt.
Tioga opened the day's play with a sweep of Southern Cayuga by scores of 25-17 and 25-20. In their next match, the Lady Tigers were swept by eventual pool winner Harpursville 25-22 and 28-26.
Candor also swept Southern Cayuga and earned a split with Harpursville, losing 25-16 before bouncing back with a 27-25 win.
Malley Bowen led Tioga at the service line with 19 points, had a team-high 36 setter assists and had 15 digs, while Natalie Burns had 17 points, nine kills and a team-high five blocks and Bry Godfrey had 12 points, 16 digs and 10 kills.
Erika Bailey had nine points, six digs and a team-high 15 kills for the Lady Tigers, while Emily Rathke contributed nine points, Charlsie Bowen had six points, six assists, four digs and two kills, Donette Hutchison recorded 29 digs, and Kayla Mosher registered six kills, two blocks and two points.
Waverly lost a 25-21 decision to Lansing to open the day, but bounced back with a 25-17 win. The Lady Wolverines followed it up with a sweep of Chenango Valley by scores of 25-15 and 25-19.
Edison finished up the evening with a sweep of Waverly by scores of 25-13 and 27-25.
Jordan Raupers led Waverly with 15 points (four aces), 15 digs, 12 assists and five kills, while Sam Mennig had 13 points (four aces), 20 assists, 19 digs and two blocks, and Morgan Salsman contributed 11 points (five aces) and 15 digs.
Erin Fagan registered 12 kills and five blocks - both team-highs - for the Lady Wolverines, while Becca Morgan had 10 points and seven digs, Dana Langdon chipped in with eight points, six kills and three blocks and Amanda Northrop recorded five kills and two blocks.
