The reigning Section VI Class C2 champion Randolph and Class C1 finalist Falconer began this season against each other at Randolph High School on Tuesday night.

Just like last year, Falconer took the nonleague contest, and despite it being a 3-0 sweep it was a close contest by scores of 25-12, 25-20, 25-20.

“I was pretty excited to see Randolph was our first game,” Falconer head coach Marah Micek said. “It’s always good competition with them and I feel like my girls play well versus them, so I was really excited to get a good game under our belts right before we started league play.”

The biggest piece missing from Randolph was Eve Adams who took her talents to the NCAA Division I level at the University at Buffalo after graduation last spring. Her absence was clear in the first set.

Falconer’s Hannah Melquist (12) bumps a ball over Randolph’s Addyson Shawley during Tuesday’s nonleague volleyball match in Randolph. Randolph’s Ryanne Bushey (10) and Falconer’s Emily Zaranek (9) watch the play unfold. P-J photo by Christian Storms

“Losing Eve, she was a huge part of this team,” Randolph head coach Bayley Johnson said about Adams graduating.

“Now it’s the opportunity for a lot of girls, Donnilynn Sheldon, our outsides Skylar Herington, Ryanne Bushey, Addyson Shawley; our hitters are really stepping up and doing a great job and filling that hole. We are moving the ball more than we have in the past and I like that.”

The first set saw both teams shake off first-game rust, but Falconer pulled away midway through with a run of four before consecutive runs of five, and Randolph had no answer eventually finishing 25-12.

While Randolph lost its best player from a year ago, Falconer returned back much of what made the Golden Falcons so successful last season. Twin juniors Emily and Mylie Zaranek led the team with kills at nine and eight, respectively, while junior Hannah Melquist had seven kills and 21 assists. Defensively, Emily Zaranek had six blocks, Augustine Krenzer had six blocks and 12 digs, and Nylah Sharpe had 27 digs.

“I’m grateful most of my girls play club,” Micek said about her team. “So they’re playing year-round, working in the gym and getting better. With this season being kind of a short preseason, I was kind of happy to be returning most of my team. Emily Zaranek’s back, she actually missed half of last season with an injury so I’m kind of bringing in more pieces. They’re a really fun group to have and it’s fun being in the gym with them.”

Randolph’s Piper Chase, left, and Donnilynn Sheldon block a spike by Falconer’s Mylie Zaranek. P-J photo by Christian Storms

Randolph began to settle in during the second set and both teams struggled to string together consecutive points. The longest run was by the Cardinals at four, but the Golden Falcons never relinquished the lead en route to a 25-20 victory.

The Cardinals played much better in the second set as the team began to adjust in the post-Eve Adams era. Several girls are expected to step up and fill that void.

“I’d say Donnilynn, our middle,” Johnson said about which players are stepping up to replicate Adams’ production. “She played last year, but she’s really stepped up and I also would say Aliza Hind is really working hard on defense and stepping up to move the ball for us.”

Sheldon paced the Cardinals offense with 10 kills and Herington added seven more, while Hind dealt 17 assists. On defense, Shawley had three blocks, Piper Chase had one, Avery Morrison made eight digs and Hind had five digs.

“Marah’s team is a great team,” Johnson said about Falconer. “I want to play teams like hers because that only makes us better. So starting out with them is exactly what we want so we can see where we stand and how we can grow from here.”

Falconer jumped out to a big lead early in the third set, leading 9-2 and then 15-7 before Randolph battled back into it. Randolph’s best run of the night at five points was in the set, but the deficit was insurmountable as the Golden Falcons won 25-20 again.

“This year I think we have a really balanced attack,” Micek said about the offense. “It’s the most balanced team I think I’ve had in a while, if not ever. Passing and serving, when our passing is on, we’re on and when we’re serving the ball tough I think we’re doing well. Cleaned up a lot of missed serves in the third set, I think that’s why we kind of controlled that game a little bit more because our serving was on.”

Falconer (1-0) will begin Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 West action Thursday night when it hosts Olean, while Randolph (0-1) begins East Division play at Ellicottville that day.