Home Local Sports Archmere volleyball sweeps Tower Hill to return to winning column

Archmere volleyball sweeps Tower Hill to return to winning column

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Ava Scarpaci (left) smacks the ball toward the Hillers. (The Dialog/Mike Lang)

WILMINGTON — The volleyball teams from Archmere and Tower Hill sweated through three sets inside Weaver Gymnasium on Oct. 2, and when it was over, the Auks had swept the Hillers to end a two-match skid. Set scores were 25-16, 25-23 and 25-13.

The Auks were in control in the first set, sprinting out to a 21-16 lead. They would not let the host Hillers back into the set, winning the final four points. That run began with a smash from Lauren Edmiston and ended when Julia Kochie crushed a ball into the hardwood floor.

Players from Archmere watch as Tower Hill attempts to keep this ball from reaching the ground. The Auks won the point. (The Dialog/Mike Lang)

The second set was a different story. The set was tied 10 times, and the biggest lead for either team was five points. Tower took its first lead at 4-3 on back-to-back kills from a pair of freshmen, Kaiya Whitfield and Chloe Sachs.

The teams went toe-to-toe for the next several points. The Auks used big hits from Edmiston and Kochie, along with an ace from Mackenzie Popp, while the Hillers responded with some defense from Marie Freebery and another Sachs winner.

After Tower Hill took an 8-7 lead on a hitting error, the Auks bounced back with six straight. But the Hillers had a six-point run of their own, including two aces served up by eighth-grader Meghan Mumford. Finally, with the score tied at 18, Edmiston went straight down with a spike to give the Auks a lead they would not relinquish. An Ava Scarpaci blast gave Archmere the win.

The final set did not have that kind of drama; the Auks took it to the Hillers. After Tower took the lead on a hitting error, Archmere went on a 6-0 run to take control. The run was punctuated by a Scarpaci kill, along with two aces courtesy of Hannah Wright.

Sachs started a five-point run that brought the Hillers to within a pair at 9-7, but that was as close as the home team would get. With Edmiston and Kochie leading the way with their powerful swings, Archmere went on for the win.

Kochie paced the Auks with 11 kills and 11 digs. Edmiston had nine kills and added an impressive seven blocks. Archmere improved to 6-2 and hosts Delaware Military Academy on Friday at 6:15 p.m.

Final statistics were not available late Wednesday night for Tower Hill. The Hillers (3-5) travel to Tatnall on Friday afternoon at 3:45.