Volleyball has traditionally been one of the strongest for Diocese of Wilmington schools, and this year appears to be no different. Three of the teams get going on Sept. 6, and two more serve it up on the 7th. Ss. Peter and Paul, already 1-1 this year, is off until Sept. 15. Here is a look at each team.
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Ursuline
A veteran lineup gives Ursuline a reason for optimism heading into the 2023 volleyball season. The Raiders finished below .500 last year, but they earned a spot in the state tournament and won in the first round before bowing out.
The Raiders appear to have options up front, with Cece DiCaro, Julia Terzaghi and Nina Peretti all capable of putting the ball away. Hayley Timmons got some experience setting last year. Defensively, Grace Burns will man the libero position.
There are few breaks in the schedule, but Ursuline will have lots of action at home. Ursuline visits state champion Tower Hill to end a three-match road trip to open te season before playing eight of their next 10 at home. The Raiders face Saint Mark’s and Padua twice, and they also have 2022 state semifinalist Delmarva Christian on the schedule.
Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Sept. 6, 4:45 p.m.: McKean
Sept. 9, 2 p.m.: Delaware Military
Sept. 12, 5:15 p.m.: Tower Hill
Sept. 18, 6 p.m.: CAMDEN CATHOLIC (N.J.)
Sept. 20, 6 p.m.: ARCHMERE
Sept. 26, 6 p.m.: SAINT MARK’S
Sept. 28, 6 p.m.: PADUA
Sept. 30, 2:15 p.m.: Cape Henlopen
Oct. 4, 4 p.m.: Avon Grove Charter (Pa.)
Oct. 5, 6:30 p.m.: PAUL VI (N.J.)
Oct. 11, 6 p.m.: ST. ELIZABETH
Oct. 14, 1 p.m.: DELMARVA CHRISTIAN
Oct. 17, 6 p.m.: WILMINGTON CHARTER
Oct. 26, 7:15 p.m. Padua
Oct. 28, 7:15 p.m.: Saint Mark’s
St. Elizabeth
Shayne Hinton is the new coach in charge of St. Elizabeth volleyball, and the former Neumann University player has been hard at work this summer with her Vikings.
Hinton, who played her high school ball and was an assistant coach at St. Georges Tech, will have seniors Carley Coats and Sofia Carucci as her top returning hitters, and Ariel Garcia will be serving up some aces. There are three freshmen on the team.
St. E’s is busy early, opening Sept. 6 at home against Glasgow and playing five matches in the season’s first 14 days. Aside from their Diamond State Athletic Conference foes, the Vikings will battle Padua, Saint Mark’s and Ursuline once each. The team is in search of its first postseason appearance since 2019.
Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Sept. 6, 6 p.m.: GLASGOW
Sept. 8, 6 p.m.: PADUA
Sept. 12, 5:15 p.m.: Conrad
Sept. 14, 5 p.m.: Red Lion
Sept. 19, 6 p.m.: ARCHMERE
Sept. 26, 5:15 p.m.: Wilmington Charter
Sept. 28, 7:15 p.m.: Saint Mark’s
Sept. 30, 12:15 p.m.: Newark Charter
Oct. 2, 6 p.m.: A.I. DUPONT
Oct. 10, 3:30 p.m.: MOT Charter
Oct. 11, 6 p.m.: Ursuline
Oct. 16, 6 p.m.: FIRST STATE MILITARY
Oct. 18, 3:45 p.m. Christiana
Oct. 20, 5:15 p.m.: Wilmington Friends
Oct. 24, 6 p.m.: DELAWARE MILITARY
Ss. Peter and Paul
Year two of varsity volleyball at Ss. Peter and Paul began with a 3-1 road victory over Indian Creek before a home loss at the hands of St. Mary’s. The Sabres hope to get back in the win column when they take the court Sept. 15 at St. Vincent Pallotti.
New to the schedule this season is a tournament in early October at Greenwood Mennonite in Greenwood, Del. Ss. Peter and Paul also plays each of its four ESIAC opponents twice. Worcester Prep defeated the Sabres for the conference championship last year.
The roster is dominated by sophomores and juniors, with a few freshmen. There are no seniors on the team.
Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Aug. 30, 4 p.m.: Indian Creek
Aug. 31, 4 p.m.: ST. MARY’S
Sept. 15, 4:30 p.m.: St. Vincent Pallotti
Sept. 20, 4 p.m.: SALISBURY CHRISTIAN
Sept. 21, 5 p.m.: Gunston
Sept. 25, 4:30 p.m.: Salisbury Christian
Sept. 27, 4 p.m.: Worcester Prep
Oct. 2, 4 p.m.: GUNSTON
Oct. 7, 8:30 a.m.: Greenwood Mennonite (Del.) Invitational
Oct. 11, 4 p.m.: WORCESTER PREP
Saint Mark’s
With the pressure of consecutive undefeated seasons and a 42-match home winning streak behind them, Saint Mark’s can concentrate on going out and being what they have been for years: one of Delaware’s elite volleyball programs.
The Spartans graduated the Gatorade player of the year, but, as the saying goes, they don’t rebuild, they reload. Libero Taylor Holly will be patrolling the back line, getting things started for hitters Ava Borcky, Blakely Stawicki and Lauren Mehelas. Maddi Way will be doing the setting for Saint Mark’s.
The schedule, as usual, includes many of those who will be contenders for the state title. Of the 13 unique opponents on the schedule, 12 of them made the state tournament in 2022. They finish with five straight home matches.
Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Sept. 7, 5 p.m.: St. Georges
Sept. 12, 7:15 p.m.: BRANDYWINE
Sept. 14, 6:30 p.m.: Wilmington Charter
Sept. 19, 7:15 p.m.: Padua
Sept. 21, 7:15 p.m.: RED LION
Sept. 26, 6 p.m.: Ursuline
Sept. 28, 7:15 p.m.: ST. ELIZABETH
Oct. 3, 6:30 p.m.: Delaware Military
Oct. 5, 6:15 p.m.: Newark Charter
Oct. 10, 6 p.m.: Smyrna
Oct. 12, 7:15 p.m.: APPOQUINIMINK
Oct. 17, 7:15 p.m.: CARAVEL
Oct. 19, 7:15 p.m.: ARCHMERE
Oct. 24, 7:15 p.m.: PADUA
Oct. 28, 7:15 p.m.: URSULINE
Padua
The Padua volleyball team battled in 2022, with a very young roster gaining valuable experience while taking some lumps. The Pandas still reached the postseason, thanks to perhaps the state’s most difficult schedule. They play many of those same teams again this season, but with a year more experience for most of the players.
Aanya Yatavelli anchors the attack, but she’ll have assistance in Hannah McGuigan, Libby Neiburg and Kaitlyn Leberstein, the team’s lone sophomore. Back-line defense should not be an issue; Padua has several quality defensive specialists.
They start the season Sept. 6 by hosting defending state champion Tower Hill. They also play last year’s other finalist, Saint Mark’s, twice, as well as the other two squads who made the semifinals and just about every other good team in Delaware.
Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Sept. 6, 7:15 p.m.: TOWER HILL
Sept. 8, 7:15 p.m.: St. Elizabeth
Sept. 14, 6 p.m.: Archmere
Sept. 19, 7:15 p.m.: SAINT MARK’S
Sept. 21, 6:15 p.m.: Caravel
Sept. 23, 12:30 p.m.: INDIAN RIVER
Sept. 28, 6 p.m.: Ursuline
Sept. 30, 12:15 p.m.: Delmarva Christian
Oct. 3, 7:15 p.m.: NEWARK CHARTER
Oct. 5, 6 p.m.: Wilmington Charter
Oct. 10, 7:15 p.m.: PAUL VI (N.J.)
Oct. 12, 7:15 p.m.: GARNET VALLEY (Pa.)
Oct. 19, 7:15 p.m.: DELAWARE MILITARY
Oct. 24, 7:15 p.m.: Saint Mark’s
Oct. 26, 7:15 p.m.: URSULINE
Archmere
Archmere finished last season winning nine of its final 10 matches before advancing to the quarterfinals of the DIAA state tournament. The Auks hope to pick up where they left off when they host Smyrna on Thursday.
The Auks look to be strong up front, with seniors Katie Kuehl and Ceci Connolly returning, along with their classmate Daphne Addo, who missed last season with an injury. Autumn Richardson-Peters anchors the back line for coach Jerry McCarthy.
They start with six of their first eight at home, playing one of the state’s toughest schedules. After all the home cooking, the Auks spend some time on the road late in the campaign, including three straight against teams expected to be title contenders.
Schedule (home games in CAPS)
Sept. 7, 6 p.m.: SMYRNA
Sept. 12, 6 p.m.: MOT CHARTER
Sept. 14, 6 p.m.: PADUA
Sept. 19, 7 p.m. St. Elizabeth
Sept. 21, 6 p.m.: Ursuline
Sept. 26, 6 p.m.: RED LION
Sept. 28, 6 p.m.: CARAVEL
Oct. 3, 6 p.m.: WILMINGTON CHARTER
Oct. 7, 1 p.m.: Appoquinimink
Oct. 10, 5:30 p.m.: Delaware Military
Oct. 13, 6 p.m.: CONRAD
Oct. 17, 6:15 p.m.: Newark Charter
Oct. 19, 7:15 p.m.: Saint Mark’s
Oct. 24, 5:15 p.m.: Tower Hill
Oct. 26, 6 p.m.: FIRST STATE MILITARY
