LAURELDALE — On a day when Marian seemed to get contributions from nearly its entire girls’ volleyball roster, junior middle hitter Abby Stankiewitch was there to help all of her teammates.
Stankiewitch tallied 11 kills and four blocks as Marian easily advanced into Tuesday’s semifinal round of the PIAA Class A Tournament with a 25-20, 25-12, 25-9 sweep of District 1 champion Sacred Heart in a quarterfinal match Saturday at Muhlenberg High School.
Marian’s next challenge on the road to a second straight PIAA championship will be District 4 champion Troy, which defeated District 3 titlist Mount Calvary Christian, 25-22, 25-19, 25-21, on Saturday at Minersville High School. The site and time of Tuesday’s semifinal round has yet to be announced by the PIAA.
The Fillies own a 24-0 season mark, a dual-match winning streak of 38 matches and a 25-match run of 3-0 sweeps, but Stankiewitch indicated Saturday’s win was an improvement.
“The emphasis was definitely on intensity. I felt we lacked that in the last three games,” the 6-foot junior middle hitter said. “I actually am kind of sick right now, but I had to pick myself up. I was like, ‘We all need this, so I have to lead the team.’ ”
Marian head coach John Fallabel said five players were ill. Yet it hardly showed on the court.
“They want this bad. They know what’s at stake. They’ve been there before. They have the fire and the intensity,” Fallabel said about the drive for a second straight PIAA championship.
In Saturday’s match, Marian used large leads at the outset of all three sets to establish command over Sacred Heart (15-9).
“Important or not important, it’s just the way it is,” Fallabel said. “They play to always jump on teams. Our coaches were on them for jumping on teams and then sliding. (Assistant coach) Rachel (Krajcirik) was all over them for that. Get a five-point lead. Slide back to zero. Get a seven-point lead. Slide back to zero. Man, keep the pressure up.”
Sacred Heart was only able to mount a comeback in the opening set, when it made up a five-point deficit after Marian’s Emily Pilla had a four-point service run.
Pilla also served five straight points later in the set to turn the Fillies’ 14-12 lead into a 19-14 bulge. Sacred Heart was unable to get closer than four points after that.
Fallabel substituted three times in the opening set to put new players at the service line and Marian did not score a point.
His next move to begin the second set paid off.
Helped initially by kills from Pilla and Alex Stroia, senior Kaylee Ceci served one ace as the Fillies took a 5-0 lead that eventually grew to 8-1.
After Sacred Heart cut the margin to 8-4 behind an ace served by Kellilynn Murray, Stankiewitch stepped up despite opposition from the Lions’ standout middle hitter, Kelli Corcoran. Stankiewitch recorded kills on three straight points and added a fourth kill on Stroia’s service run as Marian built the edge to 15-6.
“Definitely hit at her,” Stankiewitch said of Corcoran. “It’s always to play our game and, if she blocks, she’s a good blocker.”
Marian held a 17-12 lead when Maureen Kloap went to the service line and served out the set, including three straight aces.
Marian then scored 16 of the third set’s first 18 points to make the outcome all but certain. Another reserve, junior Courtney McCall, served nine straight points in one stretch as Stankiewitch had three kills and two blocks in the run. One point later, after McCall’s service run ended, senior Rachel Meier served three more points in a row.
“Doc (Fallabel) knows we all are great players, so he can put anyone in at any position and we all can do what we’re supposed to do,” Stankiewitch said.
Marian scored nine of the final 15 points to close out Sacred Heart, which received praise from its head coach, Michelle Gatta.
“This is the best team that I’ve coached since I’ve been coaching, and that’s been six years,” she said.
Abby O’Donnell had 26 assists for the Fillies, while Lauren Nietz had 16 digs and Cassandra Hoben contributed four kills, part of an effective middle attack by Marian.
Corcoran had three kills and two blocks for Sacred Heart.