Broncos sweep Raiders in MEC volleyball match
Sep. 22—MIDDLETOWN — Defending sectional champion Daleville used Wednesday's match against struggling Mid-Eastern Conference rival Shenandoah as an opportunity to work on and improve its offense.
Much of that effort paid dividends as Abby Reed secured 13 kills, Trishell Johnson added 10 and middle hitters Ava Papai and Mallory Engbrecht combined for nine kills and two blocks as the Broncos swept the Raiders 25-11, 25-13, 25-19 to improve to 6-1 in the MEC.
Daleville (11-5) rebounded from its lone conference defeat against Class 2A power Wapahani on Monday and utilized a strong service game — including 15 aces — to dominate Shenandoah (4-21).
"I'd rather miss long than short, and nobody gets time to think," Daleville coach Valorie Wells said. "I thought our service pressure, getting it over and to a spot, focusing on zone position was good."
Wells and the Broncos are inserting the slide attack more often and found success with it at the expense of Shenandoah. Johnson, Papai (six kills), and Engbrecht (three kills) have the length and body control to make it an effective weapon, particularly Engbrecht, according to Wells.
"We've been really working hard on our offense, running different stuff, getting off the net quicker and running stuff quicker and faster," Wells said. "I really liked what I saw. Mallory, my middle that I put in, she runs a great slide. She has a great body for that to turn around."
An undersized but extremely effective outside hitter, Reed's presence was felt all over the court. In addition to her attacks, she added two assists and six digs for the Broncos. The senior's experience and recognition of when and where to place her shots — as well as outstanding leaping ability — have more than made up for her lack of size.
"Knowing when to throw, when to tip when to hit and switching it around so they'll move more because I know I'm not tall, so it's a lot different. You have to be smart with your shots," Reed said. "That corner shot (tonight) was wide open."
"She's a senior, so she knows what to expect," Wells said of Reed. "She's so good at being smart and finding the open spots and still being aggressive. I just love her because she's cautious and aggressive at the same time."
The first two sets were close early, but service runs from an unlikely source helped get the Broncos separation on the scoreboard. With a 7-5 lead in the first set, sophomore Alexis Sandberg delivered a five-point service run to open things up, and in the second she took the ball with a 3-3 score and served three straight points, including two aces.
It was Sandberg's first varsity match for Wells and the Broncos.
"She's been doing great at the JV level, giving us energy and leadership," Wells said. "Let's see what she can do on varsity. She did great."
Senior setter Emilee Finley recorded 30 assists for Daleville while her twin sister, Lauren, matched Emi Cukrowicz for match-high honors with four aces.
Kayla Muterspaugh led Shenandoah with two kills, eight assists and an ace while Makayla Starnes led the team with six kills.
The Raiders will continue their homestand with a Thursday match against Hagerstown while the Broncos will take part in the Eastern Hancock Invitational on Saturday, where Wells expects her team to be well-tested against the likes of Frankton, Indian Creek and Southwood.
"Frankton is in it, and we play them first," she said. "Southwood is going to be good competition for us because they're ranked one spot ahead of us."
Contact Rob Hunt at
rob.hunt@heraldbulletin.com or 765-640-4886.
