Mimi Arrington
Audrey Woodin
SELMA — Ever since Yorktown moved down from Class 4A to 3A this season, the Tigers have been on a collision course with Delta.
After both squads took care of business in the Delaware County Volleyball Tournament quarterfinals Thursday evening at Wapahani, the first of three potential meetings in October between the rivals could be Saturday night in the tournament championship.
For that to happen, though, each would have to win in the semifinals Saturday, which neither is counting on at this point – especially with two of 2A’s top squads waiting in Wes-Del and Wapahani.
“Right now we’re really focusing on Wes-Del because we don’t want to look past them,” Delta’s Kaylee Nichols said after the Eagles rolled to a 3-0 (25-7, 25-21, 25-12) sweep of Daleville. “But, we’ve seen Yorktown and we’re looking to play in that game, hopefully.”
And that’s why both teams are where they are – mainstays in the 3A’s top 5 all season – they don’t look ahead.
Fourth-ranked Delta (18-7) has already beat Wes-Del (20-5 and No. 1 in 2A) once this season, but the Warriors won in five sets last season. And top-ranked Yorktown (25-1) swept No. 5 Wapahani (11-7) earlier this season, but the last thing coach Stephanie Bloom told the Tigers before leaving the locker room Thursday night was that now it’s all about getting ready for the Warriors.
The Tigers also cruised in their quarterfinal match with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-4, 25-12) win over Cowan (7-15). It was Yorktown’s second match since getting swept by Central last Saturday, and it has taken that defeat to heart.
“We just have to keep moving forward,” Yorktown setter Mimi Arrington said after she dished out 25 assists, spreading the ball around to Kenzie Knuckles, Rhyen Neal and Kendall Murr. “It was a lesson learned. Central played really, really good. I mean, they played great, so we have to take that as a lesson; you can’t just show up and win, you have to work.”
Mimi Arrington
Audrey Woodin continued to put down kills at a rapid rate, setting down 19 of them as Delta also got eight from Chloe Stitt and five from Rebecka Vannatta. While the Eagles had lost three of four coming in, they were all to top-10 teams in 4A, including Central.
“I think since the Central match last year, we’ve gotten better,” Delta coach Heidi Zickgraf said. “We’ve really learned from that match and have seen our potential in how we can actually can be.”
That’s the same attitude Yorktown is taking. With the postseason inching closer, Bloom is trying to look at the bright side of finally losing a match.
“I think we’re still working through it a little bit,” Bloom said. “We never talked about being undefeated, but I think when you go this late into the year, it was disappointing, for sure. We’ve never had to come into a gym after a loss. It’s important thing for teams to experience a variety of things.
“So it’s not a bad thing. I think it’ll benefit us, but we still have some responding to do.”
Contact sports features writer Ryan O’Gara at (765) 213-5829. Follow him on Twitter @RyanOGaraTSP.