NEWARK — Saint Mark’s battled valiantly in an effort to secure the DIAA volleyball championship, but Tower Hill’s stellar defense and impressive attack was too strong. The third-seeded Hillers defeated the No. 5 Spartans, 3-0, on Nov. 14 for the program’s second state title in the past three seasons.
Set scores were 25-20, 25-15, and 25-23.
Playing in front of a large crowd at the Bob Carpenter Center, the Spartans got off to a solid start, getting kills from Lauren Mehelas (St.Margaret of Scotland Parish), Maya Frohnapfel, Reagan Garibaldi (St. John the Beloved Parish) and Ashley Strohmeier (St. Margaret of Scotland Parish) to open up a 15-10 advantage. A smash by Sydney Fischer, however, started Tower on the comeback trail.
Fischer was not alone in scoring for the Hillers. She was joined by Lydia Spencer and Madison Squire, with Spencer tying the set at 18 on a stuff. That was part of an 8-1 run that ended when Frohnapfel tapped one down to make it 24-20 Hillers, but the Spartans could save just that one set point. Parker Lewicki ended the first by sending a set over the net and to the floor.
Spencer, the Hillers’ leading hitter, began the second with a kill, and Tower never looked back. Garibaldi cut the Hillers’ lead to two with an attack that made it 6-4, but Spencer answered, and Tower used a series of small runs to pull away. Lara Saints and Garibaldi did what they could to keep the Spartans close, but, led by Spencer, the Hillers stretched the lead. Spencer also delivered from the server’s spot, closing out the second with an ace.
The Tower Hill attack was matched by its defense. After the first part of the first set, the Hillers covered the floor thoroughly. Libero Lily Leung had a solid night, and she was joined in back by Lewicki and Sienna Nygaard.
The teams were tied several times early on in the third, but a kill from Squire began a 6-0 run that ended with the Hillers on top, 12-6. The Spartans refused to go away, cutting the Tower Hill lead to a pair at 21-19 when Garibaldi sent an attack off a Hillers player. After the Hillers scored the first two points out of a timeout, Garibaldi smoked a kill and added a block, and they scored again to get to within one.
Spencer got it to championship point with a cross, but a net violation on the Hillers saved the Spartans one match point. Spencer wrapped it up with a kill off a Spartans defender, and the celebration began.
Fischer had 21 kills and three aces for the Hillers, and Spencer added 18 kills and 13 digs. Leung had 25 digs. Tower Hill finished the season 18-1, with Ursuline handing them their lone loss in September. The Hillers finished by winning their last 16 matches.
Saint Mark’s closed with a 14-5 record against one of the toughest schedules in the state. The Spartans graduate four seniors but have many key players returning.
Photos by Don Blake.
