MILLTOWN — If Saint Mark’s was looking for a stiff challenge heading into the DIAA volleyball tournament, they got one from Padua on Oct. 26. The Pandas and Spartans put on a show defensively, but in the end, Saint Mark’s had more firepower in a 3-0 sweep.
Set scores were 25-17, 28-26 and 25-19.
On senior night at Saint Mark’s, Spartans senior libero Taylor Holly gave a preview of what was to come on the first point of the match. She flung her body to the floor on three different occasions to stymie Padua attacks, although the Pandas’ Vanessa Mancini eventually scored on a kill. Libby Neiburg went straight down to add a point, but a block by the Spartans’ Reagan Garibaldi kickstarted the Saint Mark’s offense.
Padua had a 9-8 lead when Ava Borcky tied it up with a block. That began a streak of six straight for the Spartans, a run that included two kills and a block from Lauren Mehelas and two aces from Borcky. The Pandas could get no closer than four the rest of the way, and Blakely Stawicki scored Saint Mark’s final two points of the first set, first on an attack down the middle, then getting set point with a block.
The Pandas took another 9-8 lead in the second on a cross from Aanya Yatavelli, but the Spartans bounced back to two a two-point advantage. This time, however, the teams were tied six times before a Borcky bomb, a Garibaldi kill following a spectacular save by Holly, and a Garibaldi block pushed the Spartans to a 21-18 lead.
Trailing 23-31, the Pandas’ Avery Pilger painted the right sideline with a kill. An attack error on the Spartans tied it up. Padua got to set point on a dink by Hannah McGuigan. A net violation tied it up, and the Spartans had an unsuccessful set point thanks to another Pilger attack. Yatavelli’s block gave the Pandas their second set point, but the Spartans rallied for the next three points, clinching the set when a Padua attack flew over the end line.
Ashley Strohmeier’s kill down the middle gave the Spartans a 3-1 lead to begin the third set, the first one where the home team took the lead first. The Pandas battled and stayed close, but they would not be able to catch the Spartans.
The Pandas closed the gap to two points at 18-16, but Aubrey Rosa answered with a push that rolled along the tape before falling for a point. Rosa repeated the shot a few points later as the lead grew to 22-17, and on the next point, Rosa converted an assist from Maddi Way for a six-point lead. It was Way’s 1000th career assist.
Stawicki got it to match point by crushing a shot from left to right, and Garibaldi closed it out with a block.
Stawicki had seven kills for Saint Mark’s, while Rosa, Borcky and Mehelas each had six. Mehelas also had seven blocks. The Spartans (14-0) wrap up the regular season on Saturday night at home against Ursuline at 7:15.
For Padua, Neiburg had 11 kills, with Yatavelli adding eight. The Pandas (9-5) also close the regular season at home against Ursuline, this on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
All photos by Jason Winchell.
