Fairport climbs to the top of boys volleyball: How they won the state championship
Fairport's boys volleyball team's return to the mountain top was a steep, gradual climb.
Just two years ago, Aiden Whites and Jack Bones' Red Raiders were very competitive, but not among Section V's top teams. A run to the Section V final in 2022 paved the way for their unbeaten 2023 fall.
Fairport made adjustments and used a balanced attack to win the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Division I championship Saturday at the Albany Capital Center, beating reigning champion Shenendehowa from Section II in straight sets.
"I have three seniors who've been on varsity for four years, and we've never been the best," Fairport coach John O'Dell said. "Solid, good, close, but certainly coming into their senior year they came in with chip on their shoulders.
"Those losses, that's what drives you every day at practice. These seniors weren't going to settle for nothing less. It doesn't work out for everyone but it did for these guys and they earned it."
Boys state volleyball: Fairport, Spencerport
Division I
Fairport coach John O'Dell's Red Raiders completed a perfect 21-0 season. The win marked the program's third state championship. Fairport won in the 2015 and 2018, going undefeated in the latter NYS title run. Fairport's 21-0 girls volleyball team followed by winning an NYS title the next day. Many Fairport girls traveled to Albany after their semifinals match.
"It does make it extra special to share this with the girls," O'Dell said. "There are four sets of siblings, the teams are just close. It's been a really exciting year to experience this together."
Division II
Spencerport coach Aaron Austin's Rangers ended the season in pool play. They went 1-3 in pool play, splitting with Westhampton Beach of Section XI but fell to Section III's Jamesville-DeWitt twice. The four-time Section V champions have appeared in three consecutive state tournaments.
Top players for Fairport
Fairport's balance and coaching adjustments helped them defeat Shenendehowa in the final 25-22, 25-14, 25-21.
Aiden White was named tournament MVP with 10 kills, nine digs and four blocks. Senior outside Jack Bones added eight kills, seven digs and two blocks. Senior Andrew Howe handed out 24 assists and four aces, setting a great game with Nick Smith. Bones and Howe made the all-tournament team.
Noah Meabon's team-high 11 kills helped him join his Fairport teammates on the all-tourney team, but it was his defense that entirely changed the trajectory of the match. Luke Sullivan had seven kills and four aces. Adam Cornman collected five aces and 11 digs.
"We felt good going into the finals, but felt confident going into state tournament," O'Dell said. "Annually, Section V is the most difficult section to come out of. Webster, Penfield, McQuaid challenged us and prepared us well."
Turning point
Shenendehowa's star outside hitter Bennett Wilson, a Penn State commit, has a powerful swing but had no answer for Meabon. Fairport's sophomore right side hitter blocked four shots alone in the second set and finished with six blocks. The Red Raiders slowly dug out of an early deficit to win the first set.
Fairport's rotation shifted in Game 2. Meabon was placed against Wilson and collected three blocks in the second set alone. Meabon's mighty swings helped give Fairport a balanced attack Shenendehowa couldn't find an answer to.
"Noah basically completely took him out of the game," O'Dell said.
Fairport went 3-1 in Saturday morning's pool play, which included a 2-0 record over Shenendehowa before sweeping them again in the final. From traveling, to hanging out at the hotel and team bonding, O'Dell said states was a great experience on top of winning the NYS title.
"It was a good culmination of all the boys' hard work, over the course of their careers as scholar athletes," O'Dell said.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Fairport boys volleyball wins NY state championship in 2023
