WILMINGTON — Padua’s volleyball team put together a strong all-around performance at the right time, defeating Wilmington Charter on Sept. 23 by a 3-1 score and knocking the Force from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Set scores were 25-21, 25-16, 19-25, and 25-17.
The Pandas shone on defense against two of the state’s better hitters in Seraphina Pabian and Emma Shaner, and they turned those opportunities into points. Padua also had a strong night from the service line, delivering 10 aces.
The first set was the closest of the four; it was tied 10 times. Padua took a 15-13 lead midway through on a cross off the tape by Josalyn Carter, but the Force fought back, knotting the score at 16 thanks to a Mya Johnson ace. Back and forth they went, with the Force going up, 20-19, on a smash from Pabian.
The Pandas scored the next three, with Kaitlyn Leberstien (St. Mary of the Assumption Parish) providing the final of those on a nifty one-timer. Charter got one back, but the Pandas scored the final three, taking the set on an attack error by the Force.
The Pandas trailed in the second set, 11-9, but they used a few runs to take control. Avery Pilger (St. John’s-Holy Angels Parish) cut the Force lead to one with a kill deep to the left, moving her to the service line. Padua tied on an attack error, and Pilger served up consecutive aces to give the Pandas the lead in the set for good.
A 6-0 run, which ended with a cross from Carter, put the Pandas on top, 21-13. The Force cut two points off the lead, but Leberstien capitalized on a great save by her team with a kill, followed by a Carter kill. Leberstien served an ace to get it to set point, and after one Charter save, Leberstien caught the Force off guard by setting the ball over the net and into the floor.
The third set began with four straight Padua points, and a block from Hannah McGuigan (St. Anthony of Padua Parish) established a 10-7 lead a bit later on. Shaner, who had a strong night, tied the set at 13 with a blast, and a block from Eleanor Ober put the visitors in front for good. Pabian followed with a bomb, something she would repeat twice more during the closing stretch of the third. Pabian also scored with an ace. Ober closed it with an attack that Padua could not handle.
Leberstien sandwiched two kills around a 50/50 win for Cierra Burslem (Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish) early in the fourth to help Padua to a 6-3 lead, but Pabian answered with another kill, followed by an ace for Ana Escudero to keep Charter close early in the fourth set.
It was 11-10 Padua when the Pandas pulled away. A Charter violation began a 7-0 run that included another ace for Pilger. The Pandas were able to keep rallies alive with solid defense, and they took advantage on the offensive end, going ahead by as many as nine. The Force saved two match points before Leberstien once more surprised Charter by setting the ball over the net and to the floor to end the match.
Leberstien finished with 15 kills, three aces, 10 digs and 10 assists. McGuigan had 11 kills, and Pilger had five aces to go along with 16 digs and 19 assists. Padua (4-2) is right back at it on Tuesday at home against Delmarva Christian.
For the Force, Pabian led the way with 18 kills and 24 digs, while Shaner had nine kills. Charter (5-1) is home on Friday against Smyrna at 6 p.m.
Photos by Mike Lang.
