TIOGA COUNTY — Today will be an action-packed day as three postseason contests, including two that will determine section IV football titles, take place.
Joey Tomasso from Waverly and Sarah Lawson from Corning were two athletes to earn this week’s prestigious recognition as Sports Reports/ Drake HVAC Athletes of the Week.
Cross Country
Owego’s Jaelyn Chrysler may not show much emotion on the course, but her smile at the post-race awards ceremony at the 2023 NYSPHSAA Cross Country Championships revealed her feelings. Owego River Hawks qualified two boys and girls for the state competition in Glens Falls.
Corning senior Brooke Terwilliger broke a Section IV diving record, Northeast Bradford junior Gracelyn Laudermilch ran to win a district title, and Waverly’s Joey Tomasso scored six touchdowns against one of Waverly’s main rivals – all deservingly earning recognition as The Sports Reports / Ziff Law Firm Regional “Athletes of the Week.”
Volleyball
Volleyball requires teamwork and communication for success, with players needing to master six basic skills: serve, pass, set, attack, and block. Furthermore, there are numerous techniques players can employ in order to enhance their performance on the court or beach. Moreover, volleyball is an intense and fast-paced competition that demands agility while necessitating quick decisions as it responds quickly to opposing team actions.
William Morgan first introduced volleyball to Holyoke Massachusetts YMCA as an instructor looking for an engaging yet low-impact activity to help his students relax while exercising. By combining aspects from basketball, baseball, tennis, handball, and hand volleyball, he created what has now become known as volleyball, later expanding it by including teams scoring points by grounding balls on opponent courts – eventually, the YMCA helped spread volleyball across North America, Canada, and Asia; becoming part of school physical education programs and later even school curriculum.
In 1968, amateur sports in the United States established the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). John Eaton was appointed by AAU as its representative to write rules for Junior Olympic volleyball tournaments; their goal was to develop an organized tournament structure that could act as a catalyst for grassroots advancement of volleyball as an amateur sport.
Volleyball teams consist of five positions: libero (defensive specialist), outside hitter (left-side hitter), middle hitter, opposite hitter, and setter. Each has an essential part to play in ensuring team success. At higher levels of play, there are three standard formations used for competition play: 4-2, 6-2, and 5-1 – the latter usually dominates these matches.
Volleyball is a classic team and recreational sport, typically played between two teams of six players on a rectangular court divided by a net. Indoor and outdoor versions exist, and it was included in the Summer Olympic program; additionally, it serves as an adapted sport at the Paralympic Games.
