For The Dialog
MILLTOWN – The St. Mark’s gymnasium was a festive place Tuesday night as the school’s students came out in costumes and were making a lot of noise, but the third-ranked Padua volleyball team did not let the atmosphere get to them as they swept the Spartans, 25-23, 25-23 and 25-14.
The Spartans seemed fired up in the first set. The teams traded the first 12 points, with an Addison Reich block knotting the score at six. St. Mark’s took the next two points before the Pandas took an 11-8 lead after a couple of aces by Emily Jarome. The Spartans jumped back into the lead at 18-16 on back-to-back kills by Genevieve Hughes.
An Emma Lucey kill gave Padua a 24-21 lead. St. Mark’s fought off two set points, but Claire Bisson’s kill gave Padua a hard-fought win.
It was all Padua in the second set, as Lauren Mellor and Jarome set the pace with some early kills. The Pandas led, 13-7, and ended the second by scoring 12 of the final 18 points. St. Mark’s led the third set early, 5-3, but Jarome and Gabriella Welsh took over. Padua went on a 14-2 run and finished the match on an ace by Katelyn McGonigal, her sixth of the night.
Jarome finished with 15 kills, four aces and eight digs. The Pandas (3-0) host Ursuline at 6:45 p.m. Friday, while St. Mark’s (2-2) is home on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
