Delmarva Christian advances to second round of state tournament
For the fourth straight time, the Delmarva Christian girls’ volleyball team has made it to the second round of the DIAA state tournament, doing so this year Oct. 30, by dispatching No. 19 Wilmington Friends 3-0 in Georgetown.
“We prepared for this tournament for so long – we wanted to make it to the state tourney – and when we found out we were the 14th seed, it boosted our confidence,” said senior Elaina Millaway.
Another boost to their self-esteem was when Millaway took over to serve with the match close – 10-7.
“All your hard work, it pays off in that moment,” Millaway said. “You look back, and you're like [this is] what I've been working for.”
By the time the Quakers could get their eighth point, the Royals were already up to 21 thanks to the senior's run. The Royals would win the set 25-12.
“It's a huge motivation boost, but it's also a momentum boost, and just like every sport, the girls thrive off the momentum,” said Royals coach John Luong. “And we used that energy going forward into all the next sets.”
The second set was close throughout, but Delmarva Christian was able to rely on what got them to the dance to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-20 set win.
“Working really hard together, everyone playing their part and working hard in their part,” Millaway said about the keys to success.
Despite their mascot being known for pacifism, the Quakers refused to give up the fight, jumping out to an early lead and seemingly on their way to a set win. However, the experienced Royals pulled themselves together following a timeout when they were trailing 18-12.
A four-point run prompted a Wilmington Friends timeout with the visitors up 18-16. Exchanging barbs until the early 20s, the set looked like it could go to either team, but Delmarva Christian pulled away and won 25-22 to clinch the first-round victory.
“We were able to look beyond the deficit, close the gap and finish the game strong,” Luong said.
Capturing the win in front of their home fans meant a lot to the Royals after a season of difficult tests.
“This year we had a lot of fans and encouragement, which is great for us because this is has been a tough season,” Millaway said. “That encouragement helps a lot.”
No. 14 Delmarva Christian will head north to take on No. 3 Tower Hill at 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1.
