Royals volleyball reaches into the past to help out the future

Jim Berger is back at the helm for Delmarva Christian volleyball, leading the boys' team for the 2025 spring season, bringing a fresh energy to the squad.

“Outlook is looking really good, our team is well structured,” said senior Quinn Downs. “We have a lot of young guys, but everybody seems very hungry to learn. I'm very hungry to play.”

The Royals will feature Downs in the middle of the net, flanked by juniors Harrison Schlabach and Seth Mifflin when in their ideal formation.

“I'll be up at the net a lot, of course, playing middle,” Downs said. “Harrison and Seth are two other big names that are gonna be up there as well.”

Downs thinks passing will be the key to earning points and winning sets. His fellow senior, Ethan Fells, will play an outsized role in getting under received serves and making sure the big guys up front have quality balls to hit.

“You need a good pass, and then you need a good set,” Downs said. “We have both of those pretty down pat: Ethan, amazing setter, and then the hits coming from me, Harrison and Seth will be crucial.”

Fells has a strong belief in the guys around him.

“This team is very talented. I feel like it's able to do a lot,” Fells said. “It's going to be a very competitive team as long as we can get the fundamentals down and can stay focused.”

Despite a tough schedule, and the caliber of boys’ volleyball in Sussex County, Fells thinks there are plenty of wins to be had.

“We can compete with every team out there; I don't think there's a team we can't beat,” Fells said. “We just need to stay focused, and we need to work hard, but I think it's a very talented team.”

Berger’s concepts are something the lads are buying into.

“Passing is infinitely better in last year with the introduction of coach Berger – he's a great passing coach,” Fells said. 

“Our goal is play a good brand of volleyball, an intelligent brand of volleyball, and be competitive in every match,” Berger said. “If we're gonna be successful, we're gonna have to serve aggressively and consistently. At the same time, we're gonna have to really control the first touch, whether it be in serve-receive or defense.”

Delmarva Christian will serve up its first action of the year in a home match against Cape at 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 26.