Chittenango to face VVS or Oneida for title

Chittenango, Mount Markham earn automatic berths in Section III finals

The Chittenango boys volleyball team earned an automatic berth in the Section III Class B final.

The Chittenango boys volleyball team entered this season as the favorite to capture the Section III Class B title, returning most of its players from last year’s team that fell to eventual champion Oneida in the semifinals.

Thus far, the Bears haven’t disappointed.

Coach Michael Dziedzic’s squad went 16-0 during the regular season, earning the No. 1 seed and an automatic berth in the championship match.

Standing between Chittenango and the title will be one of its foes from the Center State Conference West Division. Vernon-VeronaSherrill is the No. 2 seed in coach Shawn Lynch’s first season and will host No. 3 Oneida in a semifinal match at 6 p.m. this evening. The Red Devils swept Rik Ano’s three-time defending Section III

Class B champion during the regular season, winning 3-0 on the road and 3-1 at home.

The Bears faced both teams during their perfect regular season. Chittenango defeated VVS 3-1 in both meetings and took a pair of 3-0 victories from Oneida.

The Section III Class B final will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday at a site to be determined with the winner to face Section II champion Cobleskill-Richmondville at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Westmoreland in a New York State Public High School Athletic Association regional final.

The only other tram to take Chittenango to four games this winter was Mount Markham, the top seed in the Section III Class C tournament. Like the Bears, the Mustangs get an automatic berth in the championship match. Darin Lynch’s squad will face the winner of today’s 6 p.m. semifinal between No. 2 seed Sauquoit Valley and No. 3 Canastota in the championship match on Thursday following the Class B title match. The winner advances to the NYSPHSAA regional final to face Section II champion Voorheesville following the Class B regional final at Westmoreland.

KYLE MENNIG – ONEIDA DAILY DISPATCH Chittenango’s Tyler Howard (13) hits the ball at the net as Oneida’s Joe Rose (6) tries to defend during their match in Oneida on Jan. 4. The Bears are the No. 1seed in the Section III Class B playoffs.

KYLE MENNIG – ONEIDA DAILY DISPATCH Vernon-Verona-Sherrill’s Aaron Duchene (17) hits the ball as Oneida’s Austyn Kopack (10) and Nate Janovsky (7) try to block it.