Randolph went into hostile territory needing a victory over the Panthers to secure a share of the title, while Gowanda had already guaranteed itself that much with a win at Allegany-Limestone last Wednesday.

The Cardinals set the tone in the first set when they scored the first six points, including a pair of aces from Ryanne Bushey. Randolph played with that intensity all night long, closing out the first set 25-17, rallying the second for a 25-21 win and clinching its share of the title with a 25-17 victory for the sweep.

“We decided that before the match we were going to focus on momentum,” Randolph head coach Bayley Johnson said. “We focus on momentum by staying positive, working hard, making every point matter to keep that momentum.”

Despite the loss, it was still a night of celebration for Gowanda on its Senior Night and the Panthers will still get to raise the first banner in the Brenda Gernatt era.

Randolph's Aliza Hind, left, and Addyson Shawley, right, go to block a hit from Gowanda's Holland Browning. P-J photo by Christian Storms

“That’s what I’m hoping to do,” Gowanda head coach Brenda Gernatt said about building a strong program. “Back in 1997 was when I graduated and we were able to win the division then.”

“So during practices I keep showing them the banner that hangs over us and I said I want nothing more than to bring something like that for you girls,” Gernatt added. “Hopefully sometime we can walk away with a blue patch, but I just keep setting that expectation of the feeling that it is.”

Already reaching a sectional final a year ago and now winning a league title, Gernatt hopes this is just the start of building a great program that continues playing at a high level.

“We’re starting to get a lot of the younger girls involved year-round,” Gernatt said about starting a travel team to help strengthen Gowanda volleyball. “It’s nice to keep the girls playing together, together in the winter, the spring and then we do a summer league. It’s only going to help us in the end, the younger girls are coming through and playing travel and hopefully we’re going to get big someday.”

Attaining that kind of success requires a high level of expectations and ending the regular season being swept did not sit well with Gernatt.

“Overall, I would say that we’ve done a nice job,” Gernatt said about her team this season. “Finishing tied in our division. Tonight’s game we just didn’t show up at all. We come out against some teams and we’re on fire and we’re beating them in three games. Then we come out against other teams and I don’t even know who they are. So trying to get the level of play consistent has been a battle for us, but overall I think the girls are hard workers and we’re having a great season.”

Standing out both offensively and defensively in the win for Randolph was Donnilynn Sheldon, really jumping into her role as the leader of the Cardinals.

“Donnilynn is a great player,” Johnson stated. “She has really stepped up this year and playing all the way around when she hasn’t in the past. I think she brings us the momentum for us when she swings the ball so hard from the front row.”

The senior was a menace at the net with a whopping 18 kills and two blocks, and she made seven digs along with an ace. When Sheldon was not causing havoc at the net, sophomore Addyson Shawley made another two blocks and scored 10 kills for the Cardinals.

“She came on as a sophomore this year,” Johnson said about Shawley’s play. “She has been really defending that net really well with those blocks. I’m really proud of her and every day she works hard to get better at that and she really has proven that as we get to the end of the season.”

From the outside, Ryanne Bushey scored eight kills and two aces to go along with 10 digs for the Cardinals; Skylar Herington added another seven kills and seven digs; and Aliza Hind set everything up with 38 assists, two aces, three kills, seven digs and a block.

Gowanda looked as if it had a response to Randolph’s first set when it jumped to a 10-6 lead in the second. The two finalists of last year’s Class C2 championship put on a show in the second set with some long rallies, but it was eventually the reigning-champion Cardinals pulling away for the 25-21 win.

“We wanted to end on a positive note,” Johnson said about the regular season. “We wanted to go into the playoffs on a positive note and I think we did that tonight.”

The final set mirrored the first with Randolph jumping out early and Gowanda having to claw back into it.

The Panthers were led by Holland Browning with eight kills and six digs; Lauren Kelly scored six kills, four blocks and an ace; Corrina John had six kills and two blocks; Addison Kota made 10 digs; and Jill Gernatt dealt 17 assists, 13 digs and an ace.

However, it was Randolph (13-4, 9-3) ending with a 4-point run and a 3-point run to make it a three-way tie atop Division 2 with Gowanda (12-4, 9-3) and Allegany-Limestone (14-5, 9-3).

“That’s what I keep telling the girls,” Gernatt said about the playoff mentality. “‘Who wants it more?’ You have to go into every playoff game with total heart and refusing to lose, that’s what I always say to the girls. When it gets towards playoffs it’s the matter of we do or we don’t. We refuse to lose, we come out and play with heart and from here on out it’s nothing but tough competitive matches.”