SMYRNA – Salesianum entered the DIAA boys volleyball championship match as the underdog on paper, carrying the No. 2 seed against top-seeded Appoquinimink. But it was the Sals who prevailed, winning a second consecutive state title after a 3-0 sweep of the Jaguars on May 22 at Smyrna High School. Set scores were 25-21, 25-22, and 25-17.
Appo made its first appearance in the championship in the third year of boys volleyball as a varsity sport. The Jaguars entered the match undefeated, having dropped just three sets all season. And although they fell in a sweep, they made things very interesting for the first two sets.
Salesianum went on an 11-4 run early in the first to turn a 7-3 deficit into a 14-11 lead. A kill by David Oladosu, followed by a Riley Buzby block, cut that lead to a point, and after a Sals point, Appo scored the next three, taking a 16-15 lead on a kill by Dylan Clark.
The Sals regained the momentum beginning with a blast by Cody Popp. Andrew Mahoney then sent a ball off an Appoquinimink defender out of bounds, followed by an Alex Jankiewicz block. Two Jaguars errors made it a 5-0 Sals run and a 20-16 lead. Colin McLaughlin sent it to set point with a bomb down the middle, and after one saved set point, Reid Maas ended it with a push over the defense just inside the end line.
The second set began with five straight Salesianum points, the final one coming on a back-line attack by Popp after a splendid save by Mahoney. Buzby, however, got the Jags on the board with a blast, and Appoquinimink climbed right back into it. Buzby, who got rolling in the second, tied the set at 9-9 with a back-line kill, and teammate Chase Armour found his rhythm as well, keeping the set deadlocked. Buzby tied the set at 17 when he knocked a ball over the net with the side of his head, and it found the floor.
Kills by Buzby and Oladosu put the Jags on top, 20-18, forcing the Sals to play from behind. Two Appo errors tied the set, and Mahoney put the Sals back on top with an attack off the fingers of a Jaguars defender and out of bounds. Appoquinimink tied the set one last time at 22 before the Sals ran off the final three points. Popp blasted an attack from the back line for the first. Maas was next, sending a monster cross into the Appo bench. Finally, Maas sent his next shot off a defender to the floor, securing a 2-0 lead.
Mahoney got the Sals going in the third with a kill down the right side. McLaughlin followed with a block, Mahoney then climbed the ladder for an impressive back-line smash as the Sals scored the first six before Kevin Nowakowic ended the run with a block. This set, however, belonged to the Sals.
Appo stayed close for a bit, but with the Sals leading, 12-8, Mahoney sent another bomb to the floor. That began a 6-1 run. Salesianum’s lead grew as large as 10 points before Appo made a mini-run late. Mahoney had one last kill to get to match point, and Mass wrapped it up with another unreturnable cross.
Popp said it took a little while for the nerves to settle.
“This year, we had a lot of new parts to our team,” he said. “When you get to an environment like this, it’s a little jittery. Once we settled in, it worked itself out, and in that third set we played great.”
The Sals did not play Appoquinimink during the regular season, but Maas knew they would present a challenge.
“We never played them, but we heard they were a very good team. They put up a great game. So many scramble plays, and they had a lot of energy. I think it’s a great team,” he said.
Coach Jeff Gricol, his assistants and the team watched multiple Appo matches in preparation for the final, so they knew the Jaguars’ tendencies.
Another key for the Sals was the experience they had on the floor. Maas, Popp and Aiden Dietrich played four years of varsity, and the other senior, Colin McLaughlin, was there for three years. Another key contributor, Mahoney, has been on varsity since his freshman season and will return next year.
“It was really exciting to have them,” he said.
Maas talked about a tournament in Texas earlier in the season in which the Sals entered as the 16th-ranked team but left with third place. Others saw what he knew – that this group was something special.
“I’m very proud of what we accomplished,” he said.
Final statistics were not available early Friday morning. Salesianum finished the season 19-1. Appoquinimink ended up 18-1.
Photos by Mike Lang.
