Sutherland’s Mary Bayer (1) celebrates with teammates after beating Victor in the Class A State Qualifier.
WEBSTER — Everyone in the almost-packed gymnasium at Webster Thomas on Tuesday night probably knew the situation.
Two-time defending state champion Pittsford Sutherland was facing upstart Victor with Matt Glover, the same man who coached the Knights to those state crowns the past two years and sectional titles from 2012-14. On top of that, the season was on the line in the Class A state tournament qualifying match.
One team goes on; one team gets ready for winter sports.
“It’s drama, (it’s) build up, it’s our coach. We know him. We know everything about him,” Sutherland setter Andrea Allen said of Glover. “But after all of that, it’s just volleyball game and we just had to play.”
Sutherland and Victor traded the first two sets, but the Knights showed that being here before matters. They controlled the final two sets and won 25-23, 21-25, 25-15 and 25-16 to earn Section V’s spot in Saturday’s 1 p.m. state quarterfinals against the Section VI champion at Pioneer High School.
“We’ve had experience. We’ve been in this situation,” said libero Aliah Bowllan, the senior who was named an Under Armour first-team All-American last week.
Bowllan came up with 21 digs and Allen also sparkled with 16 digs and 42 assists, but the veteran who played the biggest points the best was Sarah Blowers. The senior outside hitter, all 5-foot-5 of her, used power and guile to record 24 kills with 14 digs.
Sutherland’s Aliah Bowllan dives to keep the ball alive against Victor.
“She’s a kid who can score in a million different ways and for her it’s just about finding out which one is going to work in each match,” said Jon Eckler, who replaced Glover as coach.
Senior hitter Hannah Stewart finished with 12 kills and 20 digs for Victor (17-4) while sophomore Amanda Dake added 11 kills. Senior libero Melissa Page had 19 digs and sophomore setter Emily Weed 30 assists.
The teams played twice in tournaments earlier this season and Sutherland (19-1) swept all four sets against a young Victor squad that claimed its first sectional crown in six years.
The first set was close throughout. Blowers’ kill made it 24-23 and then Victor’s Hannah Stewart cleanly handled Andrea Green’s serve. But two teammates pulled up after going for her pass and the ball hit the court.
Victor overcame more suspect passing in the second set and trailed 20-17, but stormed back to win 25-21. Sutherland sailed through the third set, as Blowers pounded a spike for a cross-court kill then found a hole in the middle of Victor’s defense. She dropped three straight softer spikes over blockers, like a baseball pitcher throwing changeups.
“When I go up to swing I kind of like peel my eyes from the floor and I scan the court to see where the openings are because I’m small,” she said.
Sutherland led 15-4 and Victor never got closer than eight points the rest of the set. The final set looked destined for more of the same. Sutherland led 10-3 after a Victor receiving error on Blowers’ serve, but Victor scratched back and got as close as two points three times, the last being at 17-15.
The final point was a tip kill that Green swung deep into the court.
“We have the experience of playing in big matches,” said Blowers, one of four returning starters with Bowllan, Allen and junior hitter Savannah Bothner, “so we just went back to that and did what we do best.”
Glover called Allen, Bowllan and Blowers “pure leaders” and he thought that helped immensely.
“I give my kids a lot of credit. It’s the first time we’ve been in a situation like this,” said Glover, 37, who has led Penfield, Sutherland and Victor to a combined 10 sectional titles in the past 13 years. “Hats off to Pittsford. Those kids are great kids and I love them all. I wish them the best.”
Blowers was proud of her team and the moment for area volleyball.
“It was nice just to have so many great players and so much experience in the gym,” she said. “It’s not often that you get all these people in one place. It was an incredible feeling.”
JDIVERON@Gannett.com