Fermi Netmen Headed to State Semifinals

For the first time in its history, the Fermi High School boys volleyball team is headed to the state semifinals.

The Falcons earned that berth in the Class M Final Four by hitting the road and defeating Bloomfield 3-1 in the quarterfinals Thursday.

 "(Bloomfield) is the most respectful team to play, and they work hard," Fermi coach Alex Pyznar said. "It was a conference rematch, it was a team rematch against them and I think we knew we had to win. We play our best when we know something's on the line."

The two schools, who both compete in the Central Connecticut Conference East Division, split a pair of matches in May, with each team posting a 3-0 victory on their home court.

Since losing to Bloomfield on May 11, the Falcons have been hot, winning six of their last seven matches heading into Thursday's action.

That momentum continued in the first game, as Fermi demonstrated outstanding blocking and some great saves to win 25-19.

Bloomfield's Caleb Arelus exploded for several  powerful kills in the second game, propelling the Warhawks to a 25-21 win, but Fermi took advantage of some sloppy Bloomfield play in the third game to win 25-16.

The Falcons held the lead most of the fourth game, and at 23-18, Greg Zaylor and Austin Davis combined to block a kill attempt by Arelus. Fermi captured the match on the next point to earn the trip to the semifinals.

Josh Cheney had a season-high 27 kills for the Falcons, while Zaylor added 11 kills and three aces. Cody Brown had 38 assists, while Dylan Laferriere and Daryl Biron chipped in seven digs apiece.

Fermi (15-4), seeded fifth, will play Tuesday at a neutral site against the winner of Friday night's contest between No. 9 Farmington and No. 1 Darien. If the seedings hold, the Falcons will be the underdog against Darien.

"Like any other sport, just because we're the underdog doesn't mean we can't win," Pyznar said. "We'll practice hard Monday, and I don't think there's a reason we can't give them a run for their money."