The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Section Champs
VVS sweeps past Chittnango to capture Class B crown
In Thursday’s Section 3, Class B boys volleyball finals matchup, top-seed Vernon-Verona-Sherrill faced No. 3 Chittnango.
The match marked the fifth consecutive year where VVS and Chittnango squared off in the final. Although the Bears took down the Red Devils in the 2019 sectional title, VVS would earn its revenge with a 25-17, 25-12, 25-18 sweep.
This title is the second in three years for VVS.
“Last year’s loss was a superbig motivation because these guys last year, they came in as the top seed and not that we came in cocky, but I think we came in not as prepared, and they earned it last year,” VVS head coach Alex Rose said. “We came in this year a little bit more hungry because of that motivation.
“We didn’t want to have the same thing happen, and that fueled the seniors.”
One of the seniors was Gavin Miller.
VVS and Chittnango would have a back an forth battle in the opening set before VVS took control late to take the lead.
The Red Devils had a strong game plan going into this game, according to Rose.
“Its generally a disadvantage sometimes to get the bye heading into the sectional final because we don’t play,” he said. “But we have a a super hardworking group. We watch a lot of tape so we had a good idea of what we were coming into today”.
After capturing the first set, VVSkept the momentum going into the second. Chittnango was sloppy throughout the second set with almost no communication and poor hits. With VVS going on an incredible run, Chittnango players appeared gassed.
VVS cruised in the second set as it took command in going up 2-0.
The third set is where things got interesting.
The Bears opened up the third set by taking an early 3-1 lead. After VVS quickly tied it at 3-3, the Bears would then get that lead right back.
There would be more backand-forth play during the stretch of the third set. VVS would gain the lead, only for Chittnango to gain the the lead right back.
With the game tied at 9-9, VVS would break the tie but only for a moment as the Bears would tie the game once again.
With the score is knotted up at 10-10, Rose called a timeout.
“I called a time out at 10-10 because there was no momentum either way” Rose said. “I just told them that we needed to get that momentum. And to just breathe. We were making too much of it. We were up two sets.
“Nobody wanted to be the guy that made a mistake”.
That timeout ultimately gave VVS the momentum it was looking for as the Red Devils would score 5 straight points to push the lead to 16-11.
As VVS got to 20, you could here the excitement from the Red Devils’ students section. After every hit from VVS, the students would shout “Yes. Yes. Yes”. They were right there to another sectional title.
Miller would be the man to lead the charge for VVS. Every time Miller would get the ball, a chant of “MVP” could be heard all throughout the gym.
“So many thoughts went through my head when I heard that,” he acknowledged. “The biggest thing was that I didn’t miss a serve because that would have been embarrassing, but I made it over”.
With VVS five points away, Chittnango would not godown without a fight. The Bears scored 4 straight points. But VVS would secure the win and the title.
“But I am really speechless,” Miller said. ”Two years ago when we won, I didn’t really play front row so this was a new feeling going into it. It was just an incredible experience, knowing that we’re so close as a team”.