NYS VOLLEYBALL: CANDOR SEEKING FOURTH CLASS D STATE TITLE (2024-11-21)
By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
GLENS FALLS — Candor is heading to the 2024 NYSPHSAA Girls Volleyball Championships final four intent on winning another state title. The Coyotes will compete in pool play at Cool Insuring Arena here Friday afternoon with hopes of advancing to Saturday’s final.
Candor last won a title in 2019, but came up short in 2021 and 2023. The Coyotes, who also won back-to-back state titles in 2003-04, went 1-5 in pool play in 2021, then dropped a 3-2 semifinal heartbreaker to Chautauqua Lake last year after grabbing a two-set lead.
Senior setter Phoebe Swartz is pumped for the return to Glens Falls
“I'm really excited,” she said. “I think that we all really worked hard for this opportunity and the fact that we get to go back and try to maybe, I don't want to say redeem ourselves, but have a better opportunity than last year, especially with how they're running it. We're going back to pool play this year, which is an advantage for us, I think.”
“I'm really excited because I feel like it's a chance to redeem ourselves, almost, and kind of show people what we're actually capable of, because I think a lot of us have really good skills and talent,” senior outside hitter Kate Stouffer said. “To go there and really show people this year what we are, I think that's really exciting for me.”
This year’s Class D pool play will have Candor starting off against Tuxedo (15-4) at 2 p.m., then facing Mekeel Christian (14-5) in the third match and Ellicottville (17-8) in the fifth match.
The Coyotes haven’t played these teams before so Quinlan doesn’t have a lot of information about them.
“I know some of those teams have been there in the past, but I don't really know a lot about what their team looks like now or what kind of season they had in terms of battles that they've had to face,” coach Pam Quinlan said.
Preparing for three different opponents on the same day, especially if they have varying styles of play, is nearly impossible, so the Coyotes just need to focus on getting themselves prepared.
“I think at this point in the season we're practicing to just kind of fine tune things, and to just kind of keep loose and stay together and keep each other motivated and excited about this weekend,” Quinlan said. “I think you just have to start playing and adjust to whatever you see on the other side of the court.”
Candor had a strong season, winning two of three matches from rival Spencer-Van Etten and reclaiming the IAC Small School title. The Coyotes went 6-0 in pool play in the Section IV playoffs before sweeping Newfield to grab yet another Class D crown.
In the regional match, Candor and Lafayette waged tight battles in the first and fourth sets with the Coyotes rallying in the final game for the 3-1 victory. The difference in the second and third sets were nine and 10 points, but by no means lopsided victories for either team.
“We talked about how we felt that the battle that we had on Saturday was good for us, to have to come back after losing that second game and then that really close fourth game,” Quinlan said. “I think maybe if we hadn't had a battle on Saturday, I would probably be a little bit more concerned that we hadn't had to push it.
“We did have a couple of five-set matches, but I think if we hadn't had maybe a four-set this weekend, I might be a little bit more concerned about our ability to perform later. I think on Saturday we showed that we can do that if we need to.”
The return to Glens Falls gives the Coyotes who were there last season an opportunity for a bit of redemption. With pool play removed for the 2023 season, Candor suffered a five-set loss to eventual champion Chautauqua Lake after winning the first two sets.
“We really want to try to make sure that that doesn't happen again so I think for the kids that were there, it's probably part of their mindset, but not something that they probably dwell on,” Quinlan said.
The Coyotes rallied from a nine-point deficit to win the first game, then dominated the second. The Thunderbirds (since renamed the Eagles) grabbed the early lead and never let up to take game three, then rode 13-2 and 12-1 runs in wins in the next two games. Chautauqua Lake went on to sweep Lake George for the title.
“We talked about how we felt that the battle that we had on Saturday was good for us, to have to come back after losing that second game and then that really close fourth game,” Quinlan said. “I think maybe if we hadn't had a battle on Saturday, I would probably be a little bit more concerned that we hadn't had to push it.”
Both Stouffer and Swartz feel last year’s setback has been a motivator this season.
“I think it has motivated us, because a lot of us who were there last year are still here this year, and I think we're working a little bit harder this year to be able to go there and have a better experience than last year,” said Stouffer.
“I think that was a big motivator for us, especially because we were so close,” Swartz added. “We won those first two sets and I think that we know what we are capable of this year, and we're just going to use that to our advantage and really push ourselves.”
In its 16 matches this season, Candor posted a 47-6 mark in sets played, including 28 wins in a row at one point.
“We did have a couple of five-set matches, but I think if we hadn't had maybe a four-set match this weekend, I might be a little bit more concerned about our ability to perform later,” Quinlan said. “I think on Saturday we showed that we can do that if we need to.”
Emmi Makie, Nicola Soper and Phoebe Swartz recorded double-doubles in the Chautauqua Lake match. Kate Stouffer and Jill Teribury also contributed to the stat sheet.
NYSPHSAA added a sixth classification last year and had to switch to bracket play on the first day.
Swartz believes the return to pool play gives the Coyotes a good shot at playing for the championship on Saturday.
“I think that, like I said, pool play will really help us, and hopefully we will get back to the finals on Saturday,” she said.
Stouffer just wants the team to play well.
“I really don't have very many expectations,” she said. “I just want us to play how we know how to, and have fun and try and make it to Saturday.”
Quinlan would love to win another state championship, but also wants her team to perform well this weekend.
“My expectation would hopefully be that we're playing on Saturday, that we play well enough on Friday and match up against the opponents, but again, not knowing much about them, it's really a case of the unknown and you just, you know, you just play the best you can.
“I think that would be the other thing, is that if we come out and battle against every team, and if a team battles a little better than we do, we can keep our head up and say, you know, we did everything we could.”
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IN PHOTOS: Two-time IAC Small School Co-MVP Phoebe Swartz & the NYSPHSAA regional champion Coyotes. ... TCSR STOCK PHOTOS.
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