NEW CASTLE — The St. Elizabeth volleyball team needed a comeback late to win the first set at William Penn on Oct. 17, but the Vikings were solidly in command in sets two and three in a sweep of the Colonials. Set scores were 25-22, 25-16, and 25-14.
It was senior day at Penn, and the Colonials had a 20-19 lead in the first when St. Elizabeth coach Kimo Aweau took a timeout. When play resumed, Annabella Zagame scored on a kill, followed by an ace from Ariel Garcia. Two Colonials errors completed the run, with the Vikings on top, 23-20.
The Colonials cut the deficit to a single point, but St. E won the set on a net violation.
A Vikings service error early in the second set gave the Colonials a 5-4 lead, but that was erased quickly and for good when a tap by Madison Small was bumped by a Penn player but fell to the ground. That began a 6-0 Vikings run that included three consecutive aces by Garcia and concluded with a vicious kill from Small.
William Penn responded to that run with one of its own, getting back to within 10-9, but Sofia Carucci got the Vikings back on track with a kill down the right side. That began a 10-2 stretch for St. E, with Carley Coates-Potts contributing two kills along the way, and Zagame stuffing an overpass to make it 20-11.
Taylor Smith of the Colonials answered Zagame’s stuff with one of her own, and her ace a few points later cut the Vikings’ advantage to six. That, however, would be as close as William Penn would get.
Jenna Bozzo delivered three consecutive aces as the Vikings got off to a 4-0 start in the third, but the Colonais had some answers. Naomi Taylor served up an ace for Penn during a 4-0 run that cut the St. Elizabeth lead to 7-6, and the lead was still one after the teams traded unforced errors. A 4-0 Vikings run that featured a kill for Coates-Potts, an ace from Carucci and a smash by Small restored a five-point advantage, and St. E was on its way.
St. Elizabeth scored the final five points to end the match. Two of those were Garcia aces, including one for the clinching point.
Final statistics were not available early Tuesday morning. The Vikings (3-8) snapped a four-match losing streak and visit Delaware Military Academy on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The Colonials fell to 4-8 and finish with three matches on the road, beginning Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Hodgson.
All photos by Mike Lang.
