Dialog reporter
ALAPOCAS – Padua’s volleyball team, ranked second in the state, displayed a lethal combination of stellar defense and a powerful front line in its match Sept. 15 at Wilmington Friends. The result was a tightly fought 3-0 win over the No. 4 Quakers, with set scores of 25-21, 25-21 and 25-16.
Several Pandas contributed on both sides, including all-state outside hitter Emily Jarome. The junior had an all-around excellent evening, adding 11 digs, two blocks and three aces to her 12 kills.
“I really enjoy playing back row,” Jarome said. “Not only does it help my front-row game, but I think I can help the team a lot more, too. Having another hitter in back row helps out the other hitters in front row. I’m able to identify how many blockers are up there and tell her where to go. I think we’ve been working on back-row attacks for certain people, and it’s going to help step our game up this year.”
The Pandas and Quakers played two very close sets before Padua pulled away in the third. In fact, the Pandas trailed by four and three points midway through the first and second, respectively, before turning each around.
The defense was evident from the first point, when Maddie Judge made a great dig that turned into freshman Jess Molen’s first kill. Molen and Jarome took turns punishing the ball for Padua, but Friends hung close, with sophomore Dani Nathan providing most of the offense for the Quakers. Nathan earned her team its first lead at 8-7 on an ace. That lead grew to four, at 17-13, thanks to a few Friends blocks, but Padua came back, scoring nine of the next 10 points.
Molen had three kills during the run, and Jarome and Judge added aces. Friends’ lone point during that stretch is worth noting, however, as Kalyn Nix managed a kill after a spectacular one-armed save by Alyssa Nathan. The winning point came off the hands of Taylor Valletti, who smashed a Quakers overpass straight down.
Friends started the second set up, 3-0, and kept the lead until Ella Welsh tied it at 11 with a block. A smash by Jarome gave Padua its first advantage, but when Friends’ Delaney Martin was blocked out of bounds, the Quakers led, 18-16. Padua went on a four-point run to regain the lead, and with the score 23-21, Jarome connected on a cross-court kill. The Pandas ended the second on another overpass by Friends. This time, Emma Lucey was able to loft it over the defense.
Jarome said her team is better equipped this year to handle deficits during matches than it has been in the past.
“We’ve been able to stay calm throughout this, and even if we are down by a great amount of points, we’ve always been able to come back,” she said.
The third set did not involve a comeback, but it was close at the beginning. Molen benefited from some outstanding defense in this set. First, Jarome made an incredible fingertip dig that led to one kill, and later, Judge saved a ball while diving to her left, leading to another kill by Molen. Judge said defense has been a point of emphasis for the Pandas this season.
“We work on it a lot without the block, which I think helps because we have to learn how to read. I think that’s one of the most important things that those digs have come from. I knew where those balls were coming from,” she said.
Padua used two five-point runs to put the match away. The first one increased a 12-11 lead to 17-11, and the second finished the match. The final four points for Padua included two tip kills by Welsh sandwiched around a pair of aces by Jarome.
Molen led the team with 15 kills. Claire Bisson had five kills and three blocks for Padua, which improved to 3-0. Judge had 17 digs, while Valletti added three aces. The Pandas have their first home match on Tuesday, when St. Mark’s visits for a 7:!5 p.m. start.
For the Quakers (1-2), Dani Nathan was excellent all over the court. She was credited with 11 kills. Martin and Alexandra Musi each had eight. They are back on the court Monday at 5:15 p.m. at home vs. Tatnall.
