Section VI girls volleyball champions didn't just have a good day, they had an exceptional

Saturday which is why Eden, City Honors and Cattaraugus/Little Valley will play

for state championships today.

The trio breezed through pool play at the New York State Public High School Athletic

Association championships Saturday at the Glens Falls Civic Center with Eden earning a rematch

it has wanted for a year.

The Raiders (56-1-1) went 6-0 in pool play and will face defending state Class B champion

Hendrick Hudson of Section I at 10 a.m. Last year, an injury-depleted Eden crew lost a five-

game heartbreaker to Hudson in its quest to win a third straight state title and seventh

overall. Among the Raiders' walking wounded last year was standout Heather Henry, who

currently plays for North Carolina.

Eden beat Hendrick Hudson, 25-15, 25-9, to end pool play Saturday.

"We just want to play the best, whoever that happens to be," Raiders coach Stephen Pierce

said of the championship rematch. "This year it happens to be Hendrick Hudson. ... We

basically need to play the way we're capable of, good serving, good defense and basically

playing disciplined the way we're capable of. We're just hoping to shoot for our seventh

title. This year, every team has a few teams banged up but for the most part we're really

healthy."

Senior Hannah Herc had 20 kills and 17 digs on the day for Eden, and senior Stacey Smith

had 22 kills and four blocks.

City Honors has a chance at winning its fifth state title and first since 1993 when it

faces Section II (Albany area) champion Loudonville Christian at noon.

The Centaurs also posted a perfect record in Class C pool play, which included a 25-18,

25-5 triumph over Loudonville. City Honors also rocked IV-Tioga, 25-4, 25-13, to earn this

opportunity it hasn't had since losing in the state final in 1999.

"I'm just excited for the program overall because it has been so long [since we've won a

state title]," coach Deborah Matos said. "We really needed this right now just to remind the

young players this is something within our reach. This is something very important for the

future of our program. ... We feel ready. We had a very good day, and played solid volleyball

all day."

Natalie Southard had 21 kills and 16 blocks, while Brielle Sansone had 32 digs and Natalya

Burgess had 58 assists.

Catt/LV will play IV-Edison at noon for the Class D title after going 4-2 in pool play. The

Timberwolves opened by sweeping a pair of games from XI-Shelter Island and then split a pair

of games with Edison on Saturday.

Three teams finished 4-2 in pool play with Catt/LV advancing via point differential, while

Edison won a one-game playoff with X-Chateaugay to advance.

Eighth-grader Sara Crandall ended the day with 32 kills, while older sister Erin had 17.

Kara Jackson added 18 kills.

"I thought with the format and the stage the kids were on they played pretty well," said

Catt/LV coach Joe Crandall, the father of Sara and Erin.

"Lot of pressure. First time we've been here I thought our girls responded well."

Since the switch to a five-class championship format for girls volleyball in 2004, only

once (2006) has Section VI won three state titles in the same year.

Cross country

The East Aurora girls finished fifth in the state Federation championship meet at

Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls. Catherine Phillips led the Blue Devils with a 14th-place

finish, while Marta McLaughlin finished 42nd overall.

In the boys meet, three-time Section VI champion Drew Perilli of Lockport finished

ninth overall in 16:21.8.