Dialog reporter
WOODCREST – Delaware Military Academy showed the entire state that its volleyball team deserves its No. 1 ranking on Tuesday afternoon when the Seahawks took care of visiting Archmere, the second-ranked team, in a sweep. Set scores were 25-22, 26-24 and 25-13.
A capacity crowd filled DMA’s cramped gymnasium, with Archmere’s fans seated in the cafeteria that opens into the gym, and a host of DMA students leaning over the railing from a second-story balcony. The cheering could be heard outside the closed doors in the back parking lot. The teams gave them plenty to scream about.
Archmere held a 14-10 lead midway through the first set, but a 10-4 run by the Seahawks turned that into a 20-18 DMA lead. Outside hitter Cassie Kowalski was responsible for the final two points, both on big kills, the second one an unplayable cross court shot. But the Seahawks showed their balance, scoring on an ace by Morgan Andrews and a second-hit spike by Natalie Lavelle before outside hitter Victoria Taylor pounded one off the Auks’ block for the 1-0 DMA lead.
The second set opened with a bang. On its second point, Taylor crushed a rocket toward an Archmere defender. The ball caught the Auk in the face and nearly knocked her over. The player did leave for a few minutes to be checked by a trainer, but she appeared to be OK. DMA came at the Auks in waves, using its superior height to drill ball after ball over or through the Auks’ front wall. If it wasn’t Kowalski or Taylor, Lindsay Wolfe or Lavelle stepped up, usually sending the ball downward with force.
But Archmere’s defense was stout, saving a number of points. Libero Tori Falasco guarded the back line fiercely, sending bumps toward her setter. DMA took a 14-12 lead on yet another Taylor boomer, but Archmere bounced back with a four-point run that included two kills by Zoe Akoto and a block by Akoto and Alexis Kelly.
DMA roared back to take a 22-19 lead, but Archmere came back once more. Consecutive aces by Tori Mock gave the Auks a 23-22 advantage, and an unforced error on the Seahawks took it to set point. But a Taylor kill, an ace by Kirsten Longueira, a dink by Wolfe and blast by Taylor through the wall gave DMA the win in extra points.
The third set lacked the drama and intrigue of the first two as DMA took an early lead and did not look back. The Auks seemed out of sorts, committing several unforced errors. Taylor was scoring from all over the court, although the match ended on a cross-court winner from Wolfe, then a strike from the 10-foot line by Kowalski.
Taylor was a tour de force, collecting a match-high 20 kills and adding nine digs and two aces. Kowalski chipped in with 13 kills and 19 digs, but every player in the 10-person rotation contributed. Longueira had 29 digs. The Seahawks improved to 7-0 and will be back in action Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Charter before returning home for three straight.
For the Auks, who lost their first after seven wins, Akoto had 10 kills, while Sami Mengers had 15 digs and Mock served four aces. A trip to Ursuline for a rare Saturday night match is next up. Start time is set for 7:15 p.m.
