Throughout the Section III Division I boys volleyball final at Cicero-North Syracuse on Saturday afternoon, Northstar fans made the gym vibrate with a clever chant.
"C… N… Yes!" they shouted.
The crowd reached a boiling point of excitement as they watched their team score the winning point in their 3-0 sweep of top-seeded Liverpool to capture the sectional title.
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The Northstars completed a remarkable turnaround after a 6-15 campaign in the 2024 season. Despite being seeded third in the DI tourney, C-NS hosted the championship match and was able to deliver with a home-court advantage.
"Nobody expected us to be here," senior Ryan Leahey said. "We have this huge advantage right now … we're playing the one seed at our home gym and nobody thinks we're going to win."
The crowd participated in clap-chants after aces, spikes and kills led by the C-NS bench.
"It was unbelievable," C-NS coach Mike Lucia said. "I told these guys yesterday that Northstar Nation ... they're behind you, and I think they fed off it today, absolutely."
Every ace by the Northstars was followed by two sets of two stomps, a clap and an exclamation of "Ace!". Spikes had a similar celebration, and certain players received a crescendoing roar as they wound up for their service.
Junior Kevin Gunnip, who did not play in the sectional championship due to a concussion, led the bench celebrations.
The junior varsity players love to celebrate on the bench, so Gunnip had them practice celebrations before the big sectional championship game. Over the course of the past two seasons, the home crowd has picked up on the chants.
"Last season, we went 6-15, and a huge part of it was that we didn't have enough energy," Gunnip said. "This year, (we went) 16-5, and we brought the energy."
The bench celebrations may not be Lucia's style, but the team finding its joy after a losing season is most important to the coach.
"Coming off a 6-15 season, when they started to do that this year, it was just so nice to see them have fun," he said. Finding the joy in playing volleyball and connecting with the greater fanbase helped propel this year's turnaround for C-NS. The players began playing beach volleyball in March at an alumnus' home every Saturday evening.
Liverpool was missing 6-foot-4 middle blocker Amaree Burton, who leads its team in blocks. The impact of being without a star player was felt by the Legends, who struggled with communication and covering the middle of the court on occasion.
Lucia called it a "difficult hurdle" for his opponents to overcome.
"Anything with chemistry is going to throw you off a little bit," he said. "I think that does affect things. Before the season started, we lost three players — two for the entire season. The problem with (losing Burton) is that it happened so recently, and we had time to adjust to [our injuries]."
The Northstars came out of the gate strong, leading the entire first set and winning it handily, 25-15. C-NS again began the second set with a lead, but Liverpool was able to tie the score at 12 after a momentum-snapping timeout. Ultimately, the Northstars took the second set 25-21.
Lucia said his team's preparation for the strong start to the match was done throughout the season, learning about their opponent.
"At this point of the season, when you play someone three times, you know what they're going to do," he said. "So as far as preparation goes, it's more just focus and playing to our standard, and trying to control our emotions of being in the final.
C-NS will now advance to the state regional championships next Saturday at Roberts Wesleyan University. For Leahey, his team is a brotherhood that will continue past next week.
"Every one of these guys on this team is my brother. Once the season's over after next week, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself. It's an amazing feeling, the dedication is unmatched."
Lucia is focused on the task ahead, capturing a state regional title and representing Section III.
"All I care about is that we've got another week together," Lucia said.
