For The Dialog
BRANDYWINE HUNDRED – Tenth-seeded St. Mark’s extended its volleyball season with a sweep of No. 7 Smyrna on Saturday night at Brandywine High School. Set scores were 25-15, 25-19 and 25-15. The win improved the Spartans’ record to 10-7 and set up a meeting with No. 2 Padua on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the St. E Center.
The Spartans jumped on the Eagles early in the first set, racing out to a 5-1 lead. Seniors Addison Reich and Kara Wirt paved the way with powerful kills and solid blocks, turning away the Eagles’ offense. Erin Derick chipped in with a couple of aces to give St. Mark’s a 21-10 lead before Genevieve Hughes ended the set with a booming kill.
The second set began with the Spartans taking control early behind Reich’s three kills and a block, but Smyrna pulled back to within a point at 11-10. Wirt’s ace restored a three-point lead, but the Eagles again fought back, this time to 19-18. A Reich kill and a block by Wirt led a 6-1 run that ended with a kill by Wirt.
It was even in the third set until consecutive kills by Wirt and Reich gave the Spartans a 10-8 lead. They went on a 15-7 run the rest of the way and ended the night with a Derick kill.
Reich led the Spartans with 15 kills and two blocks, while Wirt added eight kills and three blocks.
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In the other quarterfinal matches, No. 1 Delaware Military Academy will take on No. 24 Conrad, while Ursuline, the fifth seed, battles No. 4 Wilmington Friends. Those matches take place at St. Mark’s High School.
Ursuline (12-4) advanced with a hard-fought 3-0 win over Tower Hill at Friends on Saturday night. Taylor Wright had 10 kills, and Kailyn Kampert added nine. Friends (13-2) moved on by sweeping St. Thomas More. The Ravens finished the season 11-5, their best record since 2009.
Also at Friends, Archmere, the No. 3 seed, defeated Sanford, 3-0, to move on to the quarters. Zoe Akoto led the Auks with eight kills. The Auks (14-2) will play Charter, the sixth seed, on Tuesday at St. Elizabeth. – Mike Lang
