Delaware County volleyball tournament: Wapahani v. Delta 5-set thriller headlines Round 1

SELMA, Ind. — One of the most anticipated events of the year began Thursday night.

Wapahani hosted the first round of the Delaware County volleyball tournament, which saw the Raiders play Delta and was followed by eight-time reigning champion Yorktown against Cowan.

Here's a recap of each match:

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Wapahani 3, Delta 2

Fans couldn't have hoped for a more exciting opening match.

Although the Raiders topped the Eagles 3-2 (25-20, 23-25, 25-23, 24-26, 15-9), both squads left the gymnasium feeling optimistic.

Wapahani looked good to start and got an energy boost from its enthusiastic student section after senior Macie Bowden earned her 3,000th career assist.

Delta quickly rebounded, though, and the teams went back and forth until the Raiders pulled away to win the first set.

That battle continued and intensified thereafter, and head coach Katie Weir was glad her group was tested to such a degree. The team hadn't previously played in a five-set contest this season, and although the Raiders are now 21-4, being pushed to the brink will help them come postseason play.

"We have a limited amount of huge challenges or really tight matches on our schedule, so I think we also needed to be in a situation where our back was up against the wall a little bit," Weir said. "There were times where we were frustrated with certain things that were happening on our side and on their side, so it put us in a situation where we had to focus on us and do what we do well and not let the match take our energy away."

While Wapahani led in every set, the Eagles repeatedly fought back to tie or take small leads. The Raiders playing at home surely helped thwart their opponent's momentum, but they also displayed mental and physical toughness.

Supreme confidence was also beneficial. When Delta would put together a comeback run or narrowly win a set, Wapahani responded several times with a dominant few plays to regain control. Fast starts were a major benefit, as was not compounding mistakes and losing focus.

Weir also saw her players' trust in one another sustain amid high tension.

"I knew we were competitive, I knew we were resilient, but I think they also needed to see it from each other in different roles because there are new roles this year. We learned who's going to step up in really big ways," Weir said. "I think Chloe Cook played awesome tonight. We expect that from her, but she also stepped up in a way that gave everybody a little bit more confidence in our defense, and that's something that we are proud to see out of her."

Delta (13-8) had different motivations entering the match. The Eagles went 2-2 in four previous five-set contests this season, but to do it against Wapahani on its home court was impressive.

Interim head coach Josh Collins, who's gone 8-5 since filling in for Kylie Johnson when she went on maternity leave in late August, inherited the program's mission to gain respect. The Eagles were swept at home by Wapahani to open their season, and while they were heartbroken to fall short of a tournament win, playing Class 2A's second-ranked team so close was a sign that they're trending in the right direction.

Delta was led by senior Camaya Murry (career-high 19 kills, 18 digs) and sophomore Addie Phillippe (season-high 45 assists).

"After we got done and emotions set in and they were all crying, I told them there was nothing to hang their heads on and I was extremely proud of how they performed," Collins said. "We do play with a lot of energy, a lot of passion. We do play with that chip on our shoulder ... We just wanted to make sure that everybody knew that there was another team in Delaware County other than Yorktown and Wapahani."

Both sides were expressive throughout, yet the Eagles often exploded after big points and their two set victories.

Delta's fourth-set comeback, in particular, garnered an emphatic celebration by the team.

Such enjoyment is typically reserved for postseason play, yet upsetting a county rival means more in this area than in other places. There was plenty of pride on both sides, and the Eagles made it clear how much the match meant to them.

"It's a group of girls who I truly believe have been told that they're just not where they need to be and that Delta is really not the powerhouse that they used to be," Collins said. "I try and get that message across to them that no, it's not true. They are a great team, they are great kids, they're great volleyball players, it's just our job to show everybody that, and it started last night."

Wapahani will play Wes-Del (18-6) in the tournament semifinals at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1. The Raiders swept the Warriors on the road on Aug. 25.

Yorktown 3, Cowan 0

Yorktown (24-2) swept Cowan (6-18) in the second match of the night, winning 25-5, 25-6, 25-8.

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The Tigers were able to rotate in several JV players with the match all but won. The Blackhawks continued to play hard throughout.

Yorktown was led by senior Emilee Hill (12 kills, seven assists), sophomore Charlotte Vinson (nine kills) and junior Addisen Rains (10 aces, eight digs, seven receptions).

The Tigers will play Daleville (16-5) in the semifinals at approximately 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1.

Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com.