Sussex Central volleyball completes thrilling comeback over Cape

GEORGETOWN, Del. – Sussex Central girl’s volleyball overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat Cape 3-2 at home on Tuesday night.

The Vikings started quickly, winning the first set 25-18 then following it up with an even more dominant 25-13 showing in set number-two.

With their backs against the wall, the Knights flipped a switch, taking sets three and four both by a 25-12 margin.

The fifth set was neck-and-neck, with the two teams trading blows to reach a 13-13 tie before Central claimed the final two points and their comeback victory in the match.

Cape was led by junior Harper Mamele, who recorded 30 kills and 17 digs.

For Sussex Central, sophomore Paige Nicholson recorded 25 kills and 29 digs alongside her freshman sister Quinn, who had 27 digs, and sophomore Julianne Bounds, who added 10 kills and 34 digs.

It was the first time Sussex Central girl’s volleyball had beaten Cape since the 2021 season.

“We’re rivals. We’re all friends with them, and it just felt amazing to finally win,” Paige Nicholson said, with Julianne Bounds adding, “We’re so happy, I’m literally about to cry. We really wanted this game, like, with our entire soul.”

On how they managed to turn things around down 2-0, Quinn Nicholson said, “We realized we have the skill to get the points and get on them. So, we just pushed and we won.”

Sussex Central Head Coach Mike Adams heaped praise on his team for their performance. “I’m speechless at this point in time. The heart, the resilience that this team has…We finally became ourselves and showed what we can do,” he said.

“I was just telling them, ‘We have to enjoy the moment. You’ve got to enjoy the moment,'” Adams said of the shifting momentum throughout the match. “Tonight was something special. And it’s one of the best played games I’ve ever been a part of, and I’ve coached over 30 years. It was such a great team effort and such a great comeback against a great team.”

With the victory Sussex Central is now 2-2, with their next game at home versus Lake Forest on Thursday, September 18 at 5:30 p.m.

Cape falls to 3-1 after suffering their first loss of the year. They play at Newark Charter on Friday, September 19 at 6:15 p.m.