Volleyball Game Preview: Rome Free Academy Black Knights vs. Canastota Red Raiders

The Rome Free Academy Black Knights will square off against the Canastota Red Raiders at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.

On Thursday, Rome Free Academy came up short against Sauquoit Valley and fell 3-1. The Black Knights have struggled against the Indians recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost matchup.

While Rome Free Academy ultimately came up short, they didn't go down without a fight: they scored at least 17 points in every set they played. The final score came out to 25-18, 23-25, 25-18, 25-17.

Elijah Pomales

Assists

02/20/25 @ Sauquoit Valley	20
02/19/25 @ Canastota	39
02/13/25 vs Vernon-Verona-Sherrill	35
02/11/25 @ Proctor	13
02/08/25 vs Oneida	36
+ 2 more games

Despite their loss, Rome Free Academy saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Elijah Pomales, who had 20 assists and nine digs, was perhaps the best of all. Pomales is on a roll when it comes to assists, as he's now posted 13 or more in each of the last seven games he's played. Another player making a difference was Ilija Wenz, who had six kills, four digs, four blocks, and four aces.

Canastota got their first taste of in-conference action this week and they started things off strong. They came out on top against Rome Free Academy by a score of 3-1 on Wednesday.

The win didn't come easy: Rome Free Academy scored at least 18 points in every set. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-22, 17-25, 25-18, 25-21.

Rome Free Academy's defeat dropped their record down to 5-9. As for Canastota, their victory bumped their record up to 2-5.

Rome Free Academy came up short against Canastota in their previous matchup on Wednesday, falling 3-1. Will Rome Free Academy have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.