Cara Bryant Tournament Recap

This past weekend the Lady Spartans traveled to Onondaga Community College to compete in the annual Cara Bryant Memorial Tournament.  The team faced off against some of the Region's toughest competition, including 2 matches against nationally ranked Monroe Community College. While the ladies went 1-4, their level of play was some of the best of the season. In the final match of the tournament, the Spartans fell to Monroe with a set one score of 25-23. The spectators gave the set a standing ovation as the Spartans prepared to start set 2. Afterward, parents, coaches, and fellow athletes made a point of congratulating the program on the vast improvements and the obvious hard work the Spartans have put in. Coach McDonough said, "I am still in awe of how far we have come as a program in such a short amount of time. When I got here last season I knew I had my work cut out for me, but my athletes have not only exceeded my expectations but have set the stage for an amazing 2015. I really couldn't be happier."

Stat leaders for the weekend include Nyasha Terry (Brooklyn, NY), Lexi Tucker (Union Springs, NY), Kiana Jones (Port Bryon, NY), and Jadda Phillips (Syracuse, NY). Terry finished the weekend with an impressive 14 solo blocks. Terry has been nicknamed "The Wall of Fame" for her outstanding second half of the season performance. She has really become a dominating force in the region. Tucker added 70 digs and forced teams to "play keep away" from her. In her 2 years at CCC, Tucker has proven herself to be arguably the most effective defensive player in the region. Though Jones was injured and unable to compete on day two, she boasted 8 service aces in 2 matches—7 were against Herkimer alone. Jones is the youngest member of the roster, only turning 17 years old during the preseason. Last but not least, Phillips continued to lead her team with 62 assists and 9 aces. Her commanding presence and tenacity has been a major factor in the Spartans success.

The Spartans play Corning Community College on Wednesday at 7 pm for their final home match of the season. At that time, they will be honoring their two sophomore student-athletes, Lexi Tucker (Union Springs, NY) and Meghan Morrin (Clyde, NY) and wishing them well as they move forward with their athletic and academic careers. Please come out and support the program and especially these two young ladies and they bid farewell to Spartan Hall.