Delmarva Christian junior hitter Elaina Millaway, right, jousts with Smyrna’s Elise Carter in the Eagles’ 3-0 win over the Royals. DAN COOK PHOTOS
The Royals’ bench celebrates a 3-1 victory over Cape to advance to the second round of the DIAA state tournament.
Royals junior Madison Jones, right, taps over a winner. 
Royals junior setter Keely Kondracki put up 30 assists in the match with Cape.
Cape’s Lily Joyce, center, and Harper Mamele get up to block an Elaina Millaway kill attempt. 
Cape sophomore Mallory Terhune saves a shot on the sideline. 
Toby Robinson bumps back a free ball for the Royals.
Cape sophomore Amalia Fruchtman taps one over for a kill. 
Cape junior Brielle Ross slams a shot between the defense Addy Benjamin, left, and Layni Dukes. 
Royals senior Maggie Kwiatkowski bumps one of her 19 assists against Cape.
Royals junior Elaina Millaway slams one of her 30 kills in the match against Cape. 
Cape senior Lily Joyce makes a diving attempt for a save off the net.
Royals libero Tobi Robinson saves a Smyrna shot on the sideline.
Vikings senior libero Emily Cook bumps one of her eight digs. 
Royals senior Maggie Kwiatkowski slams one of her two aces. 
Cape freshman Amara Fruchtman makes a diving save. 
Royals junior Elaina Millaway slams one of her 30 kills.
Cape freshman Harper Mamele puts a kill past a block attempt.
Royals freshman Katherine Jones roofs a block on a Smyrna kill attempt.
Royals junior Madison Jones punches a kill.
Sophomore Mallory Terhune bumps one of her seven digs for the Vikings. 
Royals junior setter Keely Kondracki back sets to Maggie Kwiatkowski.
The Crown Trophy Academic Achievement awards were presented to Delmarva Christian’s Khushi Patel, left, and Cape’s Brielle Ross. 
Royals junior Layni Dukes saves a shot on the sideline.
Cape junior Ava Calciano powers in one of her three aces. 
Junior setter Elle Smith serves a winner. 
Royals junior Elaina Millaway makes a return from her center back position.
Cape junior Ava Calciano makes a save on the sideline.
Royals senior Addy Benjamin roofs a block of Cape’s Harper Mamele.
Senior Maggie Kwiatkowski serves a winner for the Royals.
Senior Maggie Kwiatkowski puts a shot between the Smyrna block attempt.
The Royals celebrate an Elaina Millaway kill. 
Royals senior Addy Benjamin taps over a winner. 
Senior Addy Benjamin knocks one down for the Royals.
Junior Elaina Millaway serves a winner.
Royals setter Keely Kondracki back sets Maggie Kwiatkowski.
The Royals celebrate a roof in the third set.
Delmarva Christian junior hitter Elaina Millaway, right, jousts with Smyrna’s Elise Carter in the Eagles’ 3-0 win over the Royals. DAN COOK PHOTOS
The Royals’ bench celebrates a 3-1 victory over Cape to advance to the second round of the DIAA state tournament.
Royals junior Madison Jones, right, taps over a winner.
Royals junior setter Keely Kondracki put up 30 assists in the match with Cape.
Cape’s Lily Joyce, center, and Harper Mamele get up to block an Elaina Millaway kill attempt.
Cape sophomore Mallory Terhune saves a shot on the sideline.
Toby Robinson bumps back a free ball for the Royals.
Cape sophomore Amalia Fruchtman taps one over for a kill.
Cape junior Brielle Ross slams a shot between the defense Addy Benjamin, left, and Layni Dukes.
Royals senior Maggie Kwiatkowski bumps one of her 19 assists against Cape.
Royals junior Elaina Millaway slams one of her 30 kills in the match against Cape.
Cape senior Lily Joyce makes a diving attempt for a save off the net.
Royals libero Tobi Robinson saves a Smyrna shot on the sideline.
Vikings senior libero Emily Cook bumps one of her eight digs.
Royals senior Maggie Kwiatkowski slams one of her two aces.
Cape freshman Amara Fruchtman makes a diving save.
Royals junior Elaina Millaway slams one of her 30 kills.
Cape freshman Harper Mamele puts a kill past a block attempt.
Royals freshman Katherine Jones roofs a block on a Smyrna kill attempt.
Royals junior Madison Jones punches a kill.
Sophomore Mallory Terhune bumps one of her seven digs for the Vikings.
Royals junior setter Keely Kondracki back sets to Maggie Kwiatkowski.
The Crown Trophy Academic Achievement awards were presented to Delmarva Christian’s Khushi Patel, left, and Cape’s Brielle Ross.
Royals junior Layni Dukes saves a shot on the sideline.
Cape junior Ava Calciano powers in one of her three aces.
Junior setter Elle Smith serves a winner.
Royals junior Elaina Millaway makes a return from her center back position.
Cape junior Ava Calciano makes a save on the sideline.
Royals senior Addy Benjamin roofs a block of Cape’s Harper Mamele.
Senior Maggie Kwiatkowski serves a winner for the Royals.
Senior Maggie Kwiatkowski puts a shot between the Smyrna block attempt.
The Royals celebrate an Elaina Millaway kill.
Royals senior Addy Benjamin taps over a winner.
Senior Addy Benjamin knocks one down for the Royals.
Junior Elaina Millaway serves a winner.
Royals setter Keely Kondracki back sets Maggie Kwiatkowski.
The Royals celebrate a roof in the third set.
After a big-game loss like a DIAA state tournament second-round match, one would normally see tears of sadness, but the Delmarva Christian volleyball team was smiling with high spirits at the fact that they made it this far this season. The Royals fell 14-25, 13-25, 18-25 to the No. 2 Smyrna Eagles Nov. 4. The Royals finish the season at 9-8.
A small school that has fewer total students than a public high school marching band, the Royals showed that having a big heart is just as important.
“Our expectation for the year was to make it to states,” said Royals coach Mike Zampini, who led his 2022 season team to third place in the DIAA tournament. “That was our goal. We exceeded it. We went to the second round. Everybody is happy. They are sad to see each other go, but for the season, I think they are pretty happy. I felt like we stayed with Smyrna for some of each set. Then they would pull away. We could only do so much. They had tall hitters hitting over and around our blocks. It was quicker volleyball than we’ve seen all season. It was a good season. I’m happy for our girls.”
“I’m sad that our season ended,” said senior setter Maggie Kwiatkowski. “But I’m proud at how we played, and we stuck in there and we tried the best we could.”
“I feel good about how we ended,” said senior blocker Addy Benjamin. “I’m proud at how far we came this year. We exceeded our own expectations and the expectations of other people. I’ll take it. As a senior, I feel like it was a good ending for me. We played hard and did well. We had fun and we competed with them.”
Junior Elaina Millaway led the Royals at the net with 15 kills. Kwiatkowski put up 20 assists and had five kills. Senior libero Tobi Robinson had 13 digs.
“Everyone is happy with our season,” said Robinson. “We pushed and we pushed hard, and we saw so much improvement in everyone. Within the team, everyone has grown so much closer. We really enjoy being around each other. It makes all the difference within a team.”
“There were some low moments,” said senior Allie Munro. “But I think overall we did the best that we could, and pretty much all we could hope to do. We played some tough teams this year. We had some great games. I feel as an end point, this is something to be proud.”
This 2023 season, the Royals defeated Cape Henlopen twice, Caravel Academy, Archbishop Spalding and Tatnall.
The Delmarva Christian team moved into the second round with a 25-19, 21-25, 25-17, 25-18 victory over Cape Nov. 2.
The Vikings end their season at 9-7.
Delmarva Christian junior hitter Elaina Millaway, right, jousts with Smyrna’s Elise Carter in the Eagles’ 3-0 win over the Royals. DAN COOK PHOTOS
The Royals’ bench celebrates a 3-1 victory over Cape to advance to the second round of the DIAA state tournament.
Royals junior Madison Jones, right, taps over a winner.
Royals junior setter Keely Kondracki put up 30 assists in the match with Cape.
Cape’s Lily Joyce, center, and Harper Mamele get up to block an Elaina Millaway kill attempt.
Cape sophomore Mallory Terhune saves a shot on the sideline.
Toby Robinson bumps back a free ball for the Royals.
Cape sophomore Amalia Fruchtman taps one over for a kill.
Cape junior Brielle Ross slams a shot between the defense Addy Benjamin, left, and Layni Dukes.
Royals senior Maggie Kwiatkowski bumps one of her 19 assists against Cape.
Royals junior Elaina Millaway slams one of her 30 kills in the match against Cape.
Cape senior Lily Joyce makes a diving attempt for a save off the net.
Royals libero Tobi Robinson saves a Smyrna shot on the sideline.
Vikings senior libero Emily Cook bumps one of her eight digs.
Royals senior Maggie Kwiatkowski slams one of her two aces.
Cape freshman Amara Fruchtman makes a diving save.
Royals junior Elaina Millaway slams one of her 30 kills.
Cape freshman Harper Mamele puts a kill past a block attempt.
Royals freshman Katherine Jones roofs a block on a Smyrna kill attempt.
Royals junior Madison Jones punches a kill.
Sophomore Mallory Terhune bumps one of her seven digs for the Vikings.
Royals junior setter Keely Kondracki back sets to Maggie Kwiatkowski.
The Crown Trophy Academic Achievement awards were presented to Delmarva Christian’s Khushi Patel, left, and Cape’s Brielle Ross.
Royals junior Layni Dukes saves a shot on the sideline.
Cape junior Ava Calciano powers in one of her three aces.
Junior setter Elle Smith serves a winner.
Royals junior Elaina Millaway makes a return from her center back position.
Cape junior Ava Calciano makes a save on the sideline.
Royals senior Addy Benjamin roofs a block of Cape’s Harper Mamele.
Senior Maggie Kwiatkowski serves a winner for the Royals.
Senior Maggie Kwiatkowski puts a shot between the Smyrna block attempt.
The Royals celebrate an Elaina Millaway kill.
Royals senior Addy Benjamin taps over a winner.
Senior Addy Benjamin knocks one down for the Royals.
Junior Elaina Millaway serves a winner.
Royals setter Keely Kondracki back sets Maggie Kwiatkowski.
The Royals celebrate a roof in the third set.Event Details :
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