Padua leads three Catholic school teams in the 2026 Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament. The field was announced Nov. 1, with competition slated to begin with first-round action on Nov. 4 and 5.
The Pandas are the third seed, and Saint Mark’s is the sixth. Both teams have earned first-round byes. Archmere earned the ninth seed and will begin play on Thursday at home.
Padua finished the regular season 12-3, with its lone in-state loss coming at two-time defending state champion Tower Hill. In fact, the Pandas were the only team to take a set from the Hillers this season. Padua has wins over tournament teams Saint Mark’s, Appoquinimink, Archmere, Wilmington Charter, Newark Charter, Caravel and Delaware Military.
The Pandas have just two seniors, Annamay Hendrixson and Reagan Maus. They have gotten contributions from across the roster, with freshmen Emma Cleveland and Morgan Ludwig becoming impact players immediately.
Padua will begin play on Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. against the winner of No. 19 Sanford and No. 14 Cape Henlopen. The game will be played at Padua.
Saint Mark’s is vying for its third straight appearance in the state championship match. The Spartans went 12-3 against a schedule that included tournament teams St. Georges, Wilmington Charter, Padua, Newark Charter, Appoquinimink, Archmere, Cape Henlopen, Smyrna, Caravel and Delaware Military. Their losses came to Padua (twice) and Newark Charter.
Up front, the Spartans feature a balanced attack with hitters Gia Pezzullo, Lina Clark and Maya Frohnapfel, with Adriana Morris doing the setting. Libero Liv Thomas is one of just two seniors on the roster.
After their bye, the Spartans will host the winner of No. 22 Delmarva Christian and No. 11 St. Georges. That game will be Nov. 6 at 6 p.m.
Archmere finished second in a three-way tiebreaker to get the ninth seed. The Auks posted an 11-4 mark against a challenging schedule that included postseason participants Conrad, Delaware Military, Saint Mark’s, Padua, Wilmington Charter, Wilmington Friends, Tower Hill, Appoquinimink, Tower Hill, Newark Charter, Caravel and Delmarva Christian. Their losses came to Saint Mark’s, Padua, Tower Hill and Newark Charter.
Senior Grace Mahoney is the principal weapon at the net, with classmate Lillian Guzevich setting for the Auks. They are not alone. Freshman Vivian Guzevich adds a presence up front, as do Brooke Maddox and Caroline Hahn. Liv Borsello is the libero.
Archmere faces a familiar foe in the first round. Wilmington Charter is the 24th seed and will play in Claymont on Nov. 5 at 6 p.m.
Tickets for all matches through the quarterfinals must be purchased online at www.gofan.co/app/school/DIAA. The quarterfinals, to be played at sites and times to be determined, are Nov. 10. The semifinals are on Nov. 12, and the championship is Nov. 16. Both of those rounds will be played at the Bob Carpenter Center at the University of Delaware.
