Girls volleyball: Izzy Confessori, Neuqua Valley power past Batavia

BATAVIA – Neuqua Valley senior outside hitter Izzy Confessori was dealt a tough blow just before last season.

Confessori was cut from the varsity roster because of the high volume of competitors in the program. Confessori said she initially was “done with volleyball overall” at the time.

But it didn’t stop her from watching varsity matches as a spectator after her sophomore-level matches and supporting her friends who made it on varsity.

“I saw how much [the team] bonded and how they have this friendship that really you can’t find anywhere else in other sports, I feel like,” Confessori said after the Wildcats’ 25-19, 25-16 sweep over Batavia on Aug. 29. “I just kept that in the back of my mind and was like, ‘I want to be a part of that next year.’ ”

A season later, Confessori has roared back to become part of the crowded mix of scoring options for the Wildcats. Confessori had three kills and an ace in a balanced effort against the Bulldogs (2-5).

“It was pretty hard for me [to experience being cut],” Confessori said. “I think I showed myself no matter what I want to do, I can bounce back, and if I put in my hard work, I’ll be able to get what I want in the end.”

“She worked her butt off, and she came to the gym, and I am ecstatic that she gets an opportunity to [be] in the game and play,” Neuqua Valley coach Jamie Buhnerkemper said.

The Wildcats (2-4) built a 17-10 lead in the first set. A small surge generated by Bulldogs junior Hallie Crane’s three kills powered Batavia to within four. After a block and a Batavia serving error made it 19-13, the Bulldogs clawed back to within one after a Wildcats attack error, but Neuqua Valley’s Emi Chiaradonna and Lara Clifford combined at the net to secure the win.

In the second set, Neuqua Valley cruised to a 19-12 advantage, thanks to kills from Lauren Mariscal (a kill and an ace), Hailey Stumpf (three kills) and Clifford (three kills).

“We’re young to varsity. We’re young with a freshman setter [Aubrey Dumstorff], but we’re working hard,” Buhnerkemper said. “[Lineup wise], ever since we’ve had to switch stuff up last weekend, we’ve ran every lineup in the book. The nice thing is the girls are making it hard on us [to have a set lineup] because they’re battling against each other, because they want it. We’re working to find that consistency, and I think after today, we found momentum.”

Batavia has only two returners from last year’s squad – libero Teagan Rokos and setter McKenna Bremner. After graduating standout setter Amanda Otten, the Bulldogs are working to find a new identity.

Crane (six kills), Bremner (12 assists, three kills), sophomore outside hitter Zoe Balzanto (six kills), senior Brooke Robertson (four kills) and Rokos (eight digs) are forging ahead.

“I’m really just pushing team [volleyball]. We have a lot of people with a lot of ages coming together and supporting each other. I think that’s a really big thing and I loved tonight that we were able to do that,” Batavia coach McKenna Kelsay said. “We kind of started out a little rocky and then we were able to settle in a little more. I think that second half of the first set and the first half of second set [is evidence of that].”