Field hockey reaches last week of regular season, while volleyball playoffs have arrived

Dialog reporter
 
Field hockey enters the final week of the regular season with several games that have been rescheduled from earlier in the year, while five Catholic school teams get ready for the volleyball state tournament. Padua is the No. 1 seed in that event.
Field hockey
Monday
St. Elizabeth (3-9) vs. Conrad (6-6-2), 3:30 p.m. at Hockessin Montessori School. A busy week begins for the Vikings, who play three times to conclude the season.
Padua (11-1) at St. Mark’s (7-6), 3:45 p.m.
Laurel (2-10-1) at St. Thomas More (7-4), 4 p.m. It’s the first of four games in four days for the Ravens.
Archmere (11-2-1) at Tower Hill (13-0), 6:15 p.m. The Auks meet the Hillers in the first night game for Tower Hill at the school’s Richardson Field. The Hillers bring a multitude of scoring threats, while the Auks have planty of players who can find the cage as well.
Tuesday
Ursuline (9-4) vs. Padua, 3:45 p.m. at Forbes Field. The Pandas host their archrival in an intriguing interdivisional game. Both teams play tight defense and feature outstanding goalkeeping. Padua took a 2-0 decision last Monday.
St. Thomas More at Tome (Md.), 4 p.m.
Wednesday
Wilmington Christian at St. Mark’s, 3:30 p.m.
St. Elizabeth at Dickinson, 3:45 p.m.
Charter at Ursuline, 3:45 p.m. The Raiders wrap up the regular season against another Division I foe.
Delmarva Christian at St. Thomas More, 4:15 p.m.
Thursday
St. Elizabeth at Brandywine, 3:45 p.m.
St. Thomas More vs. Padua, 4 p.m. at Forbes Field.
 
Volleyball
Thursday (first round)
St. Elizabeth (6-8) vs. Caravel (10-5), 6 p.m. at Conrad. The Vikings return to the volleyball state tournament after a one-year absence. St. Elizabeth earned the 20^th seed and meets No. 13 Caravel, with the winner moving on to face St. Mark’s in the next round. The Vikings are led by senior hitters Alexis Lee and Erin Sammler, along with Shea Sweeney and Clara Newswanger. They will have to shut down Buccaneers hitters Kody Dillon and Rene Hastings. These teams met on Oct. 9, and Caravel needed five sets to take the victory.
Saturday (second round)
Delaware Military Academy/Cape Henlopen vs. Padua (15-0), 6 p.m. at Salesianum. The Pandas are the top seed in the tournament, and both of their potential opponents rebounded from slow starts to reach the tournament. The Pandas cannot host a tournament match because they lack locker-room facilities, but that has not mattered in any other season. DMA took Padua to four sets in September.
St. Elizabeth/Caravel at St. Mark’s (11-4), 6 p.m. The Spartans are the fourth seed in the bracket, with their only losses coming against Padua and Ursuline. St. Mark’s is a skilled, dangerous group that presents a challenge to any opponent. The Spartans own a pair of wins against St. Elizabeth this year.
Caesar Rodney/Friends at Ursuline (13-2), 6 p.m. Ursuline will be a stiff test against any opponent in this tournament and earned the right to open at home, where the team enjoys a tremendous advantage. The Raiders, the third seed, have big hitters and some of the best back-line defense in Delaware. Ursuline swept the Quakers on Sept. 26.
Smyrna/Brandywine vs. Archmere (10-5), 7 p.m. at Salesianum. The Auks earned a first-round by as the eighth seed, and they await either Blue Hen Flight B champion Brandywine or Henlopen North champ Smyrna. The Auks opened the season at Smyrna in early September with a win, but the postseason is a different animal.