BUFFALO - The Salamanca Lady Warriors entered the Section 6 title game for the first time since 1989 when they lost to Randolph.

This year, the Lady Warriors were facing the top-seeded City Honors at Medaille College. First-year coach Tom Roof was preparing all week for this matchup of two great teams.

''They're a really good passing team. I stressed to my girls to be ready for the long volley. That's something we're not used to having to do,'' Roof said before the game.

They haven't been used to long volleys because the Lady Warriors were making quick work of their opponents throughout the playoffs. They've swept every team in every round.

The Section 6 final was no different, as Salamanca won in three games, 25-13, 28-26 and 25-22.

''To the best of my knowledge Salamanca has never won a Section 6 title before,'' Roof said after the win.

The outside-hitting duo of Katie Auge and Ashley Abrams powered the Lady Warriors to a victory like they have done so many times this season. Any time the Lady Warriors needed a point, Abrams was there for a dig and Auge was there for a kill.

''Katie Auge is a leader,'' Roof said. ''A lot of teams don't have two hitters they can go to. We always have a hitter we can go to and they both know how to score.''

In game one, Auge and senior Hannah Reynolds built a 4-0 lead before the Lady Centaurs could blink. City Honors battled back to within one point at 8-7, but Abrams tipped a nicely set ball for a kill and it was all Salamanca the rest of the way.

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Another senior, Brittany Haines, keyed the offense as a setter for the big three of Auge, Abrams and Reynolds.

''Our senior leadership carries us,'' Roof said. ''We have eight seniors and they're so determined to win. I think it's incredible.''

Throughout the season, Salamanca has swept every opponent on its schedule, except for a hiccup in the third game of the season at Randolph, where the Lady Warriors needed five games to earn a win.

They're still undefeated, but it wasn't without a few challenges along the way.

In game two, City Honors was ahead 6-4, 10-8 and even 24-23. Auge, Abrams, Reynolds and Cassie Crandall put the Lady Warriors ahead for good, winning 28-26.

''Winning game two was immensely important,'' Roof said.

Game three gave Salamanca problems early as City Honors jumped out in front with a 6-1 score before Roof called a timeout to settle his team down.

''I thought we would come out on fire and I was kind of baffled when we didn't,'' Roof said.

The serving of Auge and Reynolds brought the Lady Warriors to within two points at 8-6, before auge and Abrams took over, using a little bit of everything to get points - from tipped balls to spikes and aces.

''We wanted to mix it up. It helps I have outside hitters that see the whole court and hit the ball really well,'' Roof said.

Game three was tied at 13, 15, 17 and 22. It was a back-and-forth game as City Honors was playing for their season. Salamanca, meanwhile, wanted to continue its streak of not dropping a game in the postseason.

The Lady Warriors' streak continued as Abrams killed the final point to bring a Section 6 Class D title to Salamanca.

Key contributors throughout the night for Salamanca included seniors Molly Cooper, Olivia Beattie and Loriza Acosta as well as juniors Christina LeBlanc and Lauren Dry.

The Lady Warriors play fast, they play hard and on Wednesday night they played together as a team hungry for a championship title.

The Salamanca gymnasium can now hoist a new banner to its rafters - a banner that reads ''2008 Section 6 girls volleyball champions. ''

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