SECTION IV VOLLEYBALL: CANDOR MOVES ON TO CLASS D CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH (24 PHOTOS) (2019-11-07)

Tioga County Sports Report
CANDOR — Top-seeded Candor went 6-0 in the Section IV Class D pool play semifinals here Thursday evening, defeating the likes of two-time defending state champion Bainbridge-Guilford and perennial powerhouse Tioga along the way.

"I guess we're kind of right where we want to be," said Candor head coach Pam Quinlan. "I thought we came right out from the get-go and played well and just continued to work in every match."

"Union Springs is a scrappy team. They hung in there. Tioga's got a great program. They've got some good ball players and we knew that was going to be a battle. We knew B-G coming in was a strong team. I think we just mentally are strong and able to believe that even if we are down we can come back and I think that's a key."

The Indians opened the semis against Union Springs, whom they swept, 3-0, in the IAC Small School championship match 13 days earlier. Candor won this time, 25-10 and 25-7.

Next up was Tioga, and the Indians came out on top, 25-13 and 25-18.

Candor's final opponent of the evening was B-G. The Indians dominated the first set, 25-9, then had to fight off the Bears, 25-23, in game two to finish off a perfect performance.

"They made us work for it, but I think there was always a belief that we could win that game," Quinlan said. "You've just got to believe that you can win every point and play every point like you can win it. I think that's where we are. I think the girls as a collective, they're all about each other and are just making sure that everybody stays positive and just tries to react the best they can when things don't go their way, and try to change things that aren't working, and try to keep things that are working going."

The Indians had to wait for B-G to defeat Tioga, 25-18, in a tie-breaker to find out who they would play Saturday for the sectional title.

Megan Henry contributed 24 service points, 15 kills, 10 digs and one block assist; Braelyn Hornick had 18 service points, including seven aces, 50 assists, eight digs and two block assists; Shelby Swartz recorded 22 service points, including nine aces, 13 kills, three blocks, three block assists and six digs; Jennah Kareem chipped in with 19 kills, nine service points and eight digs; Selah Ray had 10 kills and one block; and Kailyn Edwards added 16 digs.

The championship match begins at 4 p.m. at Corning-Painted Post High School.

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IN PHOTO 1: Shelby Swartz goes low to dig out the final point in Candor's perfect night. ... PHOTO 1 BY TIM TAYLOR ... PHOTOS 2-24 COURTESY OF DAVID ALLIGER.