Dialog reporter
MILLTOWN – With their season hanging in the balance, the Archmere volleyball team surrounded the free ball that had just been sent over the net by Delaware Military Academy. The ball dropped outside the sideline, and the players rejoiced in a combination of elation and exhaustion. The Auks had won the fifth set against DMA, taking the second semifinal Thursday night at St. Mark’s, 3-2, after coming back from a 2-0 deficit.
With that, Archmere (14-4) advanced to Monday night’s final, where they will play undefeated Charter School of Wilmington at approximately 6:30 p.m. at the Bob Carpenter Center on the University of Delaware campus.
Set scores were 21-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-23 and 15-11. The match took more than two and a half tense hours.
For much of the night, it appeared as if the Auks were destined for the consolation match. DMA, which had defeated fifth-seeded Archmere in the regular season and came in undefeated and the top seed, won the first two sets by identical 25-21 scores. But Archmere was not ready for the season to end, and the Auks rebounded with two wins of their own, forcing the fifth set.
They were confident they could come back, said sophomore hitter Zoe Akoto. “We thought back to earlier in the season, we took them to five sets. We knew we could be that team that overcomes such an amazing team with an amazing record.”
Senior Emily Dentinger added that Archmere tried to keep the mood light. “We’re just giving it our all at this point. We’re just having fun, not getting too stressed out about it.”
Delaware Military (16-1), led by player-of-the-year candidate Victoria Taylor, took a 3-0 lead in the fifth thanks to two unforced errors by the Auks and a Taylor kill. But the Auks got on the board on a block of Taylor, and the match turned with Sami Mengers serving.
The first point while Mengers was serving was perhaps the most important for Archmere. It was a kill by Akoto, who had left the floor late in the fourth set after rolling an ankle. She was able to get it taped and returned for the last set. After her kill, DMA committed five straight unforced errors, giving Archmere a 7-3 lead.
The Auks stretched the lead to 9-4 on another Akoto kill and an ace by Regan Bice, but the Seahawks, backed by a large contingent of their schoolmates, climbed back into it. They sandwiched three-point runs around two points for Archmere, and the Auks held a 11-10 advantage.
After Taylor’s final kill of the evening brought DMA to within 12-11, Archmere went to work to end a long night of volleyball. On the first rally, with the ball straddling the top of the tape, Dentinger smacked it down for point 13. On the next possession, Mengers tipped a shot over the Seahawks’ front line, giving Archmere match point. That came on the wayward free ball from DMA.
Archmere returns to the final for the first time since 2011, when this year’s seniors were freshmen. Dentinger said this is what they had been working toward.
“I’m excited. I mean, that’s been the goal for the past four years, get on that big stage and make the most of it. Just to experience that,” she said, adding that the Auks have a lot of prep work to do before they meet Charter.
The final result will overshadow an outstanding night for Taylor, who established herself this season as one of the best players in Delaware. She finished with 41 kills and 18 digs, with her scoring strikes coming from all over the court – front line, back line, left, right and center. Kwoka said she and her staff made some defensive adjustments for Taylor and Kowalski, the Seahawks imposing big hitters.
All five sets were close, with DMA’s biggest lead coming at 14-7 in the second set at the end of an 11-point run, while Archmere enjoyed a five-point advantage once, at 9-4 in the final set. Taylor and Cassie Kowalski were clearly DMA’s biggest weapons, while the Auks were more balanced, featuring several players.
Archmere trailed, 4-0, to begin the third set, but that didn’t last, as the set was extremely close throughout. It was a tense, entertaining match.
Auks coach Mary Pat Kwoka said she made some adjustments to help defend Taylor and Kowalski, and she credited her girls with implementing them effectively.
“We switched up a little bit on the game plan. The kids started to execute plays a little different,” she said. “They did what I asked them to do, and it was awesome. They played with a lot of heart and a lot of intensity.
“Victoria is one of the best players in the state. My kids worked really hard to stop her, and it was hard to do that.”
Akoto paced a balanced Archmere attack with 17 kills and five digs. Other key contributors included Mengers (nine kills and 24 digs), Justine Pantaleo (six kills, four blocks and 10 digs), Regan Bice (five kills, three aces and four blocks) and Tori Falasco (32 digs). In addition to Taylor, DMA received 20 kills and 20 digs from Kowalski, and lots of defense from Kirsten Longueria (35 digs), Morgan Andrews (27 digs) and Sydney Fulton (21 digs).
Tickets to the final are available at diaa.ticketleap.com. They are $8 and are good for both the consolation and the final match.
