WILMINGTON – Padua, the fourth-ranked team in the state according to 302Sports.com, used balanced scoring to defeat visiting St. Mark’s, 3-1, on Sept. 18. The set scores in the warm gymnasium were 25-19, 25-19, 23-25, and 25-18.
Jess Molen led the attack with 17 kills, but she had plenty of help. Mackenzie Sobczyk, Michelle Kozicki, Grace Palaypay and Jackie Barnett combined for 25 more kills.
![](http://thedialog.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Pandas2-192x300.jpg)
It started in the first set, as Molen and Kozicki kept the Pandas within striking distance. The second-ranked Spartans took a 10-8 lead on a kill by junior Savannah Seemans, and another increased the advantage to 13-10. The tide changed after that as Padua started a 15-6 run to close out the set. Barnett finished the frame with a nice kill to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
The Pandas received solid defense in the second set, as Molen and libero Sarah Pritchard had impressive diving digs. Kozicki and Sobczyk added a few blocks, and a Palaypay kill made it 18-13. Sobczyk ended that set with a kill.
The Spartans got their offense going in the third set behind Seemas and Abbie Thibodeau. Caroline Detrick added two big kills late in the third to make it 19-18 for St. Mark’s. The Spartans reached set point at 24-21, but the Pandas clawed back to within a point on a Molen kill. Detrick, however, gave the Spartans the set with another kill.
![](http://thedialog.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Pandas1-300x131.jpg)
Padua pulled away in the fourth. Katie Ham delivered an ace late to make the score 22-17, and Kozicki sent the Pandas faithful home happy with a kill.
Molen added 20 digs to go with her kills, while Pritchard had 10 digs. The Pandas (3-0) host No. 5 Wilmington Charter on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.
The Spartans (3-1) were led by Seemans with 19 kills, 15 digs and five blocks. Thibodeau added seven kills. St. Mark’s travels to St. Elizabeth on Thursday night, also at 7:15.