BUFFALO — Lockport dreamed of playing in a Section VI championship for years, a continuous goal from one season to the next. But now, with the moment a reality, the Lions were set on finishing the job.
In each of the last three postseasons, the Lions had advanced as far as the Division I semifinal, but ended the drought with a victory against Lancaster on Nov. 7. But bringing home a sectional title was on the line against a Frontier team looking to end its 13-year sectional drought.
But after weathering the storm through a second set, Lockport bounced back. Through four sets against No. 2 Frontier, the play of Caleb Barry and Lucas Pynn helped top-seeded Lockport break its sectional championship drought.
When Frontier’s final serve went out of bounds near the Lockport bench, the Lions defeated No. 2 Frontier in four sets, 25-23, 24-26, 25-21, 25-22 for the section’s Division I championship Thursday at Kenmore West High School. The win brought the Lions their first sectional title since 2018, but also sends them to face Section V’s Penfield in the Division I regional play at 1 p.m. Saturday at Finger Lakes Community College.
“It feels amazing,” Lockport head coach Liz Smorol said. “We weren’t supposed to be here. That’s what everyone kept saying that Lockport wasn’t supposed to make it to the finals, and we proved them wrong once and then we made it to the finals, and I told them to leave it all out on the floor. And they left it all out on the floor.”
The road to the sectional championship took a turn for Lockport this season as it entered the contest on a 13-match winning streak. The winning streak began with a three-set win against Maryvale on Sept. 26, just two days after being swept by Grand Island, its only defeat as part of a 20-1 season.
Against Frontier, Lockport took the first set, which featured Barry recording nine of his team-high 25 kills by finding the open spaces in the middle of the court. The first set then featured contributions from Pynn, setting up his teammates and providing kills, before it ended with a Frontier serving error.
Frontier then took the second set before Lockport responded in the third set. The third set included Barry providing three straight kills to take a 23-20 before the Lions secured the win with a violation against Frontier.
The fourth and final set had Frontier and Lockport tied at 18-18 before Barry made two kills and Pynn received a pass from Barry on the right for a 22-21 lead. The Lions and Falcons continued to go back and forth before Frontier’s final serving error.
For Barry, Pynn and Ehren Pettapiece, winning the sectional title came after being on the receiving end of semifinal exits, with fellow senior Brennan Bowes joining two years ago. When the dust settled on the game, the joyful emotions were shared after waiting for so long.
“That was the best part of the night, just seeing their faces and having them celebrate together,” Smorol said. “They’ve been through a lot together. They’ve been through five, six years of volleyball together, and in only having one, maybe two, players that play club, we have to work a lot harder than everybody else, and that’s why I really stress discipline and communication. Because, we’re playing against kids who play year round.”
After the game, Pynn recalled how he and Barry started on the varsity team as eighth-graders against Niagara Falls five years ago, a season where the Lions finished 8-8. Since then, the Lions have had four winning seasons, with an overall record of 63-10.
Witn an opportunity to play in regional play and potentially play for a state championship, with a win, on Nov. 23 in Albany, the moment of touching the sectiona plaque was just the start.
“ It’s awesome,” Pynn said. “I don’t think I ever thought I’d be here with this varsity squad, like starting five years ago, but now I believe in us to go all the way.”
Frontier finished the season with a 16-3 record.