Cape volleyball season ends with 3-0 loss to Padua
It was like a homecoming of sorts as Cape volleyball head coach Tyler Coupe took his team to the Sallies gymnasium where he played his high school career, but it was to meet the DIAA No. 1-seeded Padua in the second round of the DIAA State Tournament. The Pandas are coached by Coupe’s former club coach Lauren DiSabatino. DiSabatino and the Pandas eliminated the Vikings from the tournament with a 14-25, 7-25 and 13-25 victory.
“It was pretty cool to play against Tyler [Coupe],” said Padua head coach Lauren DiSabatino. “I’ve known him since he was in high school and he’s a great guy, and he’s done a great job with the program down at Cape. It’s fun to see how far he’s come since I knew him when he was a kid.”
“I believe there are two types of losses,” said Coupe. “Either you lose or you get beat. I believe we got beat, and we got beat by arguably the best team in the state. Though scores don’t completely reflect it, I think we played unafraid, and I’m very happy to see that.”
Abbey Derrickson and Emily Lamb led the Vikings with eight digs each. Erin Morrissey put down three kills. Jocelyn Leach assisted on four Vikings points. Teaghan Van Brunt and Alyssa Whaley each had three assists.
“It’s been a great season,” said sophomore Leach. “We started off real strong in this game, but didn’t end up very well. We stuck with them at the beginning of each match.”
Freshman Rileigh Wilson was thrilled with her first year on the Vikings varsity.
“I feel as a player coming here and playing on the varsity as a freshman was an awesome thing,” said the outside hitter. “It was a great opportunity for me. I feel great to be up here.”
“I’m certainly sad to see our season come to a close,” said Coupe. “I’m extremely proud of what this team has accomplished.This group has set the tone for the future, and I look forward to challenging them to continue to push themselves.”
