Dialog reporter
MILLTOWN – Ursuline’s young volleyball team had allowed Archmere to tie Nov. 10’s semifinal volleyball playoff match at two sets apiece in ugly fashion, falling 25-12 in the fourth set. But instead of folding, the Raiders rallied, outlasting the second-seeded Auks in the deciding fifth, 15-12, to earn a berth in the state championship match Monday night at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark.
Set scores were 15-25, 25-23, 25-21, 12-25 and 15-12. The sixth-seeded Raiders will face off against the defending champion, No. 4 Delaware Military Academy, at approximately 7 p.m. It will be Ursuline’s 17th championship appearance and its first since 2012.
Ursuline’s roster includes six freshmen and an eighth-grader, and it was one of the youngsters who asserted herself in the final set. Corinne Furey, a freshman playing her second varsity season, capped an outstanding set and match with a cross-court smash to the middle of the floor, setting off a wild celebration both on the court and in the stands, where a large, enthusiastic crowd of Ursuline students had gathered. Furey finished with a team-leading 20 kills, five of which came in the fifth.
“The team worked together to get an awesome set, like great setters always do, and we were able to put the ball away,” Furey said. “It was really awesome to experience that with my team. We just really came together and dropped to the floor (after the match). I was so excited.”
After the lopsided fourth set, Ursuline fell behind, 3-2, in the fifth, but Furey scored the next three points, going cross-court, then down the left sideline, and finally straight down on an errant overpass by the Auks. Archmere pulled to within a point twice, but the Raiders went on a four-point run to open up a 12-7 advantage, with Taylor Wright stuffing another overpass to end that streak.
Ursuline had four match points, only to watch the Auks save two of them on kills by Lexi Kelly and Julia Kochie, but Cassidy Markel then sent one wide to Furey, who ended a battle that lasted well over two hours.
Coach Sue Heiss said her goal this year and every year is to see improvement from her players from match to match. She saw some encouraging signs against Archmere.
“I wouldn’t say that this was our best game, but there were parts that we improved a lot. I’d say that our defense was very good. When you bring young people along like that, they start to believe in themselves and trust themselves. They played beyond their age. They don’t play like freshmen or like sophomores,” she said.
Heiss said it was key for her team not to get down after the fourth set.
“It’s a very emotional game, but you can’t play it that way. You have to play it even,” she said.
While the players tried to stay on an even keel, for most of the match it felt like the roof might be blown off. Both schools brought large contingents of amped-up students, whose cheering had the floor shaking. Wright, a junior, said the Raiders definitely noticed the support.
“It’s amazing to know that everyone cares about us that much. I know it’s a far drive for some people, but I’m glad that they could come support us tonight,” she said.
Early on, it appeared as if Ursuline realized just how far it had advanced in the tournament, as they seemed a bit nervous. Archmere, the 2014 state champion and the runner-up last year, turned a nip-and-tuck first set into a comfortable win, with Kelly and Kochie leading the way. The Auks played outstanding defense, digging everything the Raiders threw at them and putting up a formidable front wall. Two Kelly kills ended the set.
A different Ursuline squad took the court for the next two sets. The Raiders found their footing on both sides of the net, jumping out to a 9-2 lead in the second. Wright stood out in this sequence, going back-to-back down the middle and then to the left sideline, then serving up an ace for good measure. A five-point surge by Archmere made the score 11-10. The teams were tied at 22, but Abigail Rzucidlo and Furey scored on consecutive kills to send it to set point, and Sam Davis finished it with a swing from the back line.
The Raiders stormed out of the gates again in the third set, opening up a 7-3 lead on a Markel block. The teams traded points for most of the set, with Wright giving the Raiders their largest lead of the frame at 17-11. She also finished the set with a smash down the middle.
Archmere coach Mary Pat Kwoka credited Ursuline for playing its usual stout defense and was proud of her team for giving its all and for another successful season.
“We weren’t even in the top five to start the season,” she said. “For us to make it to the final four was an incredible effort by these kids, excellent leadership from my seniors, who had a phenomenal career. I’m proud of what Archmere does.
“Somebody has to lose. Tonight, we happened to lose, and Ursuline happened to win.”
With the win, Ursuline improved to 14-4. Wright finished with 15 kills, many of them of the punishing variety, and 28 digs, while Markel had six kills and nine digs. Davis was her normal self on defense, collecting 37 digs.
Kelly led the Auks with 16 kills and 10 digs, and Kochie had 11 kills and 18 digs. Jade Bryant added 10 kills, and four other Auks finished in double figures in digs. Archmere finished a fine season at 15-3 and will meet Tower Hill in the consolation match Monday at the Bob at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets to the championship are $8 and are available at www.statechamps.com/DIAA.
