For The Dialog
WILMINGTON – Fifth-ranked Ursuline stormed past No. 2 Padua, 3-1, to defeat the Pandas for the second time this season in Catholic Conference volleyball. A big crowd was on hand to see the match and to honor the Raiders’ seniors.
The first set was a back-and-forth affair. Two early kills from Kailyn Kampert gave Ursuline at 7-3 lead, but the Pandas tied it at 9 after two kills and an ace from sophomore Emily Jarome. Sophomore Taylor Wright produced a kill, then an ace, to give the Raiders match point at 24-21, and Kampert finished it with a kill for a 25-22 win.
Ursuline sprinted out to a 17-14 lead in the second, but then Jarome and sophomore Emma Lucey took over. Jarome had four kills and Lucey two aces to help the Pandas to a 25-20 win, tying the match. Ursuline jumped all over their opponent in the fourth, going up 17-6 on a kill by senior Sophia Simoes. Padua bounced back, getting to within 18-14 after another Jarome blast. The Raiders responded by finishing the set on a 7-2 run for the 25-16 win.
The teams were fairly even in the fourth before kills by Kampert and Simoes put the Raiders on top, 12-7. Ursuline pulled away with an 8-1 run for the 20-8 advantage. The match ended on a Wright kill, with a final score of 25-17.
Kampert led the Raiders with 19 kills and 10 digs. Wright added 14 kills and 14 digs. Ursuline, which is 10-4 and has won four of its last five, travels to St. Mark’s on Saturday at 2 p.m. for both teams’ regular-season finale.
Padua, whose statistics were not available, finished the regular season at 12-3 and awaits the state tournament draw this weekend.
