WILMINGTON — Ursuline and Padua renewed acquaintances on Oct. 26, and the Raiders made it a sweep over the Pandas in volleyball this regular season with a 3-0 victory. Set scores were 25-19, 25-15, and 27-25.
Playing before a large senior night crowd, the teams battled for a few points before the Raiders took control. Juliette Cummings untied the set with a kill that put Ursuline on top, 5-4, and they would not look back. The story of the first set was the Raiders’ service game, as a variety of players handcuffed the Padua service return throughout the set.
Hayley Timmons served up three aces during a 7-0 run that extended the lead to 12-5. Kaitlyn Leberstien ended the streak with a free ball that found the floor, and a bit later on she had three aces over a 6-0 run that cut the lead to 15-12. The Raiders’ Caitlyn McGonigal was equally adept from behind the service line later on, stretching the advantage to nine. Avery Pilger did her best to get Padua back into it. Facing set point, she delivered three straight aces, but Cummings stuffed an overpass to end it.
The Pandas were up, 3-1, to open the second set, but a service error began a 6-0 run for the Raiders that turned momentum. Grace Burns scored twice on aces, and a kill from C.C. DeCaro pushed the lead to 7-3. Padua cut the lead to 9-8, but the Raiders stopped the streak and built a bit of a cushion with contributions from a variety of players, including Emelia Panunto, Timmons, Claire Kelly and C.C. DeCaro. Burns got it to set point with an ace, and the set ended on an unforced error from Padua.
Padua remained in good spirits heading into the third set, and Libby Neiburg’s block that gave them a 3-2 lead. Hannah McGuigan instigated a 5-0 run that extended the Pandas’ lead to 11-5.
The Raiders earned a point and the serve after an attack error by the Pandas, and McGonigal followed with a kill. A few points later, DeCaro scored on consecutive kills to knot the set at 14. Ursuline was ahead for a bit, but this time, the Pandas battled back, getting it back to a tie at 20-20 on a Leberstien blast.
The rivals were tied at 21, 22 and 23, and the Pandas reached set point on a Leberstien ace. The Raiders tied it, then had a service error after they had reached match point. DeCaro bombed one to get Ursuline’s second match point, and, with McGonigal serving, the Pandas had some miscommunication on the final point, and they were unable to return the serve.
DeCaro had nine kills, with Cummings adding seven to go along with three blocks. McGonigal and Timmons each had four aces. The Raiders (11-3) close out the regular season on Saturday night at Saint Mark’s at 7:15.
Final statistics were not available for Padua Friday morning. The Pandas finished the regular season 9-6 and will find out their seeding in the state tournament on Sunday.
All photos by Mike Lang.
