For The Dialog
MILLTOWN – Second-seeded Archmere reached the volleyball tournament semifinal round with a sweep of No. 10 Tatnall on Nov. 8 at St. Mark’s High School. The set scores were 25-15, 25-18 and 25-19. Freshman Julia Kochie led the way for the Auks with 12 kills and 10 digs.
The Auks scored the first six points of the match as the Hornets were adjusting to the atmosphere. Tatnall responded with the next five behind the strong play of Lindsay Moyer, but Archmere came back with an 11-6 run to take the 17-11 lead. Lexi Kelly and Jade Bryant had big kills during that run, but it was Grace Merritt who closed out the set with a kill.
The second set started out with the teams trading points, and Bryant tied it at 10 with a kill. Moyer then scored two of the next three Tatnall points to give the Hornets some momentum. But the Auks roared back thanks to their defense and the strong hitting of Kochie to grab a 19-17 lead. Bryant ended the set with an ace.
The third set was much like the second, with a Kochie swing giving the Auks a 13-12 advantage. Archmere took over from there, as an 11-5 run gave them match point at 24-16. Merritt ended things with a kill.
Despite the sweep, Archmere coach Mary Pat Kwoka was not happy early on.
“We came out flat. We have to improve with a little bit more enthusiasm,” she said.
Kochie knows what Ursuline will bring Thursday night “Ursuline is a very good team,” she said. “I think we will play really well against them as long as we keep up our energy and team support.”
Archmere (15-2) beat Ursuline at home on Oct. 7 in a sweep, but the Raiders have been hot down the stretch. The teams meet at 6 p.m. at St Mark’s on Thursday, while top-seeded Tower Hill plays No. 4 Delaware Military Academy 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match.
