Royals hang around in final two sets but IR prevails 3-0

A tough, three-match week resulted in Delmarva Christian boys’ volleyball dropping both of their contests against Caesar Rodney, with a loss at Indian River sandwiched in between.

The small, private school has challenged itself in 2025 by lining up 10 of its games against Henlopen opponents. While the boys are battling hard, they are not getting the results they want.

“We're just inconsistent right now,” Royals coach Jim Berger said. “Volleyball is a tough sport in these close matches; just two or three bad decisions can be the difference in the game, and they can also lead to momentum on the other side.”

In their April 3 match at IR, the Royals dropped the first set 25-11, but bounced back to put the pressure on the hosts in the next two sets. The chaps just couldn’t keep Uncle Mo on their side long enough.

“It seemed like every time we had the momentum, we made an unforced error or a mental mistake and gave the momentum right back,” Berger said.

Despite losing the first two sets, Delmarva Christian remained energized in the third and final set April 3, jumping out to and maintaining a lead for most of the match. Berger told his team to just keep plugging away and value every point, but have a short memory if they lost one.

There were some bright spots for the Royals against IR; Seth Mifflin topped the team with 10 kills and added 10 digs, Caleb Holloway led the team with 17 digs, and Harrison Schlabach finished second with 12. Senior Ethan Fels had six digs and led the Royals with 24 assists.

“Our serve receive and team passing were better than our first two matches of the year, and when we had hittable balls, we swung away,” Berger said. “When we're not in our system is when we tend to make mental mistakes.”

The Royals are hoping to get their first win against a Henlopen Conference opponent, with five of their next six matches coming against their public school neighbors.