MILLTOWN — Saint Mark’s volleyball team took on another quality opponent when Archmere came to visit on Oct. 19, but once again the Spartans were up to the challenge, sweeping the Auks to remain undefeated at 13-0. Set scores were 25-17, 25-17, and 26-24.
Each of the sets gave off a different vibe, but in the end, the result was the same. The first was tied, 4-4, when the Spartans took the lead on a service error. Taylor Holly stepped behind the service line, and by the time she was done, Saint Mark’s had an 11-4 lead. The run included three aces from the senior libero.
The Auks closed the gap to four on one occasion, but the result of this one never seemed to be in doubt. Two Spartans errors late got Archmere within five at 22-17, and the Auks appeared to have scored the next point as well to cut the lead to four. A center line violation, however, resulted in a Spartans point, and they closed it out with a cross by Aubrey Rosa, followed by an Auks attack error.
The second set was tied at each point from 1-1 through 6-6, but the Auks used a Ceci Connolly smash of an overpass to take a lead they would hold for the middle part of the set. It grew to 11-8 on an Ella Strohmaier ace, but a minute later, Saint Mark’s Ashley Strohmeier served up an ace of her own to knot the score at 11.
The Auks went back on top, 13-11, but Reagan Garibaldi’s redirect started a 6-0 Saint Mark’s run that swung the set the Spartans’ way. A 4-0 streak that started with a Lauren Mehelas smash and a Rosa ace pushed the lead to eight points, and a tap by Maddi Way was the deciding point.
The Auks wrapped up a 5-1 start to the third set with a blast by Connolly, but the Spartans roared back to tie it at 7-7 on a Blakely Stawicki attack. Big hitters Mehelas and Connolly traded points as the teams moved on to a 14-14 deadlock.
An ace from Autumn Richardson-Peters served as the catalyst for a 6-0 Auks run, a stretch that also included another Connolly blast, a cross from Daphne Addo, and, finally, a block from Ava Beach.
The Spartans chipped away, but after Katie Kuehl’s attack went off a Spartan and out of bounds, Saint Mark’s trailed, 23-19. Ava Borcky crushed one to cut the deficit to three, and an error made it 23-21. A two-contact call, followed by a redirect by Mehelas, tied the score at 23. Kuehl sent it to set point for the Auks with a smash, but an attack error re-tied the set. Borcky, now on the serve, got it to match point with an ace, and Mehelas smacked a cross-court winner to end it.
Borcky had 10 kills and 13 digs, while Mehelas had nine kills. Holly led the way with 27 digs and three aces. Saint Mark’s hosts Padua on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.
Archmere (8-5) visits Tower Hill on Tuesday at 5:15 p.m.
All photos by Mike Lang.
