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No soft serve here: Diocese of Wilmington Catholic high schools bring the heat in volleyball

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Taylor Holly of the Spartans collects one of her team-leading 23 digs last season against Newark Charter. Holly and the Spartans have reached four straight state championship matches. Dialog photo/Mike Lang

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.

Ursuline got some work in at the Cape Henlopen play day in late August.

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.

Sofia Carucci rises up to take a swing for the Vikings in a game last season. Dialog photo/Mike Lang

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.

 

Saint Mark’s hosted a play day in late August in preparation for the 2023 season.

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.

Padua will have lots of defense on the back line.

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.

Archmere opens its season Sept. 6 against Smyrna.

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