Red Barons Upset Onondaga, Advance to Regional Final Eight

Anyone that witnessed Tuesday's sub-regional play-in game at Onondaga CC would have thought that Halloween had come early this October.  Corning's Evelyn Caceres and Mollie Peck were only missing their capes as the two showed up to the contest as the "Dynamic Duo", wrecking havoc on the Lazers defense. 

Corning took set one 25-17 and looked poised to challenge an OCC team that had defeated the Red Barons three previous times this season.  OCC bounced back and looked strong in set two and took a 20-25 victory to tie things at 1-1.  Set three was a back and forth battle that Corning was able to win 25-23.  During that match, Caceres took control of the net.  Caceres tallied a career-high 21 kills in only 27 attempts in the four-game match.  She only committed three spiking errors and the Lazers were only able to dig three of her monstrous attacks on the day. 

With momentum swinging towards Corning, sophomore Mollie Peck decided it was time to take control and almost single-handedly ensured that Corning would advance in the tournament.  Peck put on one of the most impressive individual and dominant performances that Region III has ever seen.  With the score tied 4-4, Peck stepped to the service line and during the next 5 minutes, the gym belonged to her.  Peck served up some "lasers" of her own - 15 straight service points with TEN of them being ACES.  When OCC finally got the ball back, Corning had pulled away 19-4.  Peck finished the day with 14 kills, 22 service points, 10 aces and 9 digs.   Setter Chelsea Hutsick tallied 38 assists and Katie Dunning added six digs. 

Corning advances to the Region III Final Eight this weekend hosted by Niagara CCC.  The Red Barons are in a tough pool that includes #1 Niagara CCC, #4 Alfred State College and #5 Jefferson CC.  Corning begins pool play by facing NCCC at 11:30am Saturday.   Two teams from this pool will advance to Sunday's semi-final games against the top two teams from Pool B (#2 Jamestown CC, #3 Monroe CC, #6 Herkimer CCC and #7 Erie CC).   The winner of the Region III Tournament advances to the NJCAA National Championship in Rochester, MN.