The first round of the Delaware County Tournament started with a pair of matchups at Wapahani High School.
To kick off the first game between the first two squads, the Wes-Del Warriors took on the Cowan Blackhawks. In a previous game this season, the Warriors took down the Blackhawks, 3-0.
Wes-Del, led by head coach Biff Wilson, entered this game with twenty wins, with eight of those coming from the Mid-Eastern Conference. Cowan, led by head coach Amber Huber, entered the game with seven overall wins, and three Mid-Eastern Conference wins.
To start off the first set, the Warriors and Blackhawks were battling back and forth, with the score being tied at eight. Soon after, Wes-Del showed their talent they have had all season, and ended up winning the first set, 25-14.
Senior Rachel McGlothin stepped up when the team needed it, helping lead the Warriors to the first-set victory
“Winning the first set gives us a lot of momentum to push them in the next two sets,” McGlothin said. “We know how the other team [Cowan] plays after the first set, so getting that win is very vital.”
Wes-Del carried the momentum they created from the first set and was able to swiftly win the second set, 25-13. The Warriors were well in control to finish the game out, and advance in the Delaware County tournament.
Senior Emma Harlan noted how even though the team went up 2-0, they still had plenty of work to do.
“I feel like there can still be pressure after winning the first two sets because you never know how Cowan is going to come out and play in the third,” Harlan said. “A lot of teams come out and play more aggressive after they’ve lost a couple sets because they’re more angry.”
Only needing one more set win to win the game and advance in the tournament, the Warriors did just that, winning the third set 25-13. This 3-0 victory over Cowan is exactly what head coach Biff Wilson wanted from his team to make a statement in the tournament, moving on to the second round.
“We play Daleville next, and they’re a big rival for us, we’ve probably won and lost just about the same number over the past few years with this particular group,” Wilson said. “We want to get to the finals, but we know we have to get through Daleville to do it.”
The second game was a matchup between the Wapahani Raiders and the Delta Eagles.
Wapahani, led by head coach Valorie Wells, entered this game with an undefeated conference record (8-0), and sixteen overall wins. Delta, led by head coach Kylie Johnson, entered the game with only one conference win, and nine wins overall.
Beginning the first set, both teams came out firing, making it a close game early, but as the set went on, the home-court advantage for Wapahani showed, as the Raiders took the first set, 25-18.
Junior Sophia Beeson was one of the main factors in the set win. She touched on what helped the team prevail throughout the set.
“I’ve never seen the crowd as hyped up as they were today,” Beeson said. “It really brought me up and I felt like it brought everyone else up too.”
The second set continued an already hyped-up student section for both sides. Wapahani once again came out striking and showing why they are unbeaten, and first place in the mid-eastern conference. The Raiders went on to win the second set, 25-20.
Wapahani’s lone senior, Lauren Rich, commented on how the teams’ conference dominance helps their chances in the county tournament.
“We’re very confident that we can go on and win the county tournament,” she said. “I believe that if we have the fire that we had in this game, that we can come out on top.”
With their backs against the wall having a 2-0 deficit, Delta came out in the third set and won 25-21. Senior Olivia Morris led the way for the Eagles in the set, getting multiple kills and saves all over the court.
With the momentum now with Delta, the tides completely changed. The Eagles did not lose a step in the fourth set, and had the lead the entire set. They won the set 25-16, making it a 2-2 game.
The final set began, with the game being tied 2-2. The next set ultimately decided who moved on in the Delaware County tournament to face Yorktown. Even though they lost sets three and four, Wapahani kept their composure. Down 13-9 in the final set, the Raiders went on to score six unanswered points, to win the set 15-13 and advance in the process.
Wells helped the team keep their composure, and finish the game.
“We mainly just told them just to relax and try to play together as a team,” Wells said. “It was a little chaotic at first because we all wanted it so bad, and we weren’t listening to each other. But once we tuned in and listened to each other, it was great to see and that’s what happened toward the end [of the last set].”
Contact Kyle Stout with questions at kyle.stout@bsu.edu or on X @kylestoutdn
