SECTION IV VOLLEYBALL: TIOGA SWEEPS UNATEGO, ADVANCES TO CLASS C POOL PLAY (24 PHOTOS) (2025-11-04)

By TIM TAYLOR
Valley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER — Tioga put together a solid all-around team effort to sweep Unatego in the Section IV Class C volleyball quarterfinals here Tuesday evening.

Both teams looked a little rusty early as game one showed a few service errors, and hitting and receiving miscues on both sides of the net.

Tioga coach Des Ford expected a little rust coming in.

“We haven't played in a week and a half, and I don't think they did either,” Ford said. “Unatego is a good team, a solid team all the way around.”

The Spartans put up a challenge at times, especially in the first and third game.

“We're working on things,” said Ford. “Not where I want to be. There's more there.”

A pair of hard serves from Rae Ann Feeko sparked Tioga to a 4-1 lead. Lilly Mezzatesta put the ball just inside the back line for a side out, then came up with a nice hit the Spartans were unable to handle to make it 8-5.

Unatego battled back to take a 9-8 edge, but an Aly Chamberlain serve, and a couple of nice taps at the net from Mezzatesta and Mia Hall helped give the home team a 14-9 advantage.

The Spartans took a timeout and picked up a side out, but never got closer than 14-11 after that as the Tigers received key efforts from Vida Rossi, Hall, Audi Zorn and Feeko down the stretch. Mezzatesta blasted a shot off a back row player to end the set.

Game two started with Feeko serving the first seven points, while getting some help from Rossi, Zorn, Hall and Mezzatesta.

A Tioga miscommunication and a pair of hitting errors allowed Unatego to trim the lead to 7-3, but a pair of solid serves from Zorn, a Hall kill, and Mezzatesta’s hard smash to the back row followed by her own tap at the net pushed the lead to 14-5.

Mezzatesta would add an underhand tap which rolled up the the side of the net and over the top, then snuck a shot inside the left sideline as the Tigers stretched their lead to 19-5. Zorn picked up nine service points during the run.

Trailing, 20-6, the Spartans reeled off four straight points before Tioga shut them down.

The final game saw the Tigers jump in front, 3-0, with Feeko at the service line. Courtney Smith came off the bench to serve a trio of points as well, giving Tioga a 7-2 lead.

Chloe Stilson and Nica Hurlburt came up with some big plays to help Unatego close the gap to 10-7. As Tioga tried to pull away, Jayden Gore and Hurlburt came up with key plays to help the Spartans make it a 14-11.

With her team leading, 15-11, Mezzatesta found a hole in the back corner, then made a diving save which Hall converted into a point.

A Unatego hotting error gave the Tigers an 18-12 advantage, and key serves by Chamberlain and Hall made it a 23-14 contest.

Two Tioga errors, a Mallory Hafele ace and a block by Gore allowed the Spartans to close within 23-16, but the Tigers would get the side out on the next ball and Feeko would end the match with a hard serve to the middle of the Unatego defense which the Spartans were unable to handle.

“There's goofiness happening, not that focus where you have to be focused," Ford said. "They're high school kids and they're going to be goofy. I did get on them there at the end, even though it was one point. You've got to focus. Again, we're not where I want us to be.”

Ford was pleased with the overall teamwork and applauded the effort of her squad, including players like Mezzatesta.

“A little lax. She gets a little lax. They all do,” said Ford. “Defensively, she came up with some (plays). She's a solid player.”

Ford had praise for other players as well.

“I’m impressed with where Audie Zorn has gotten to in the season and as a senior player,” she said. “Her skill level, she's raised it. Had to talk to her a little bit about certain things on the court, but she's coming in with that 100-percent heart to get the win.

“Rae Ann Feeko’s setting. Lydia Decker, defensively, had some nice passes. I get a hoot out of Mia Hall. We're trying to do stuff up front with her, but being her second year playing volleyball, she's improved, so I think they all stepped it up. Vida started swinging tonight, so I think they all contributed to the success tonight. They need to be a team.”

Feeko recorded a double-double with 13 service points and 21 assists to go with four kills and eight digs while Mezzatesta registered 12 kills, four digs and a point. Zorn contributed 10 points, six kills and seven digs; and Rossi added eight kills, one point, one assist and two digs.

Chamberlain joined in on the team effort with five points, eight assists and five digs; Hall chipped in with five points, four kills, two blocks and two digs; Vanessa Tunnicliff had two kills, three assists and one dig; Sadie Marshall added four points and one dig; Lydiah Decker pitched in with eight digs; and Mary Divers tacked on one point and two digs.

For Unatego, Hurlburt had seven points, including three aces, a kill, an assist and six digs; Hafele added four points with two aces, two kills, four assists and one block; Raelynn Parks and Gore contributed two kills and four blocks apiece; Chloe Stilson had four points and three kills; and Cassidy Barber added seven digs.

Tioga (13-4) heads to Lansing Thursday for pool play. Unatego finishes its season at 10-5.

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PHOTOS BY CRISTINA ROSSI.

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