HOMETOWN — Serves and suicides.
Marian’s girls’ volleyball team spent much of its practice this week doing both, the first to begin play on the court with consistent shots over the net, and the other, a back-and-forth dash between lines on the court, to build conditioning.
After 25 dual matches and two tournaments, the challenge for the Fillies is finally singular.
Marian, the Schuylkill League and District 11 champion, will oppose District 7 champion Greensburg Central Catholic at 11 a.m. Saturday at Richland High School, Johnstown.
The Fillies (25-0) will attempt to become the first team to win back-to-back PIAA Class A championships since Reading Central Catholic in 2006-07.
“Last year was very tiring, very stressful,’’ Marian head coach John Fallabel said. “The same thing is happening now. Almost every girl out there is sick. It wears on you, so you try to keep the practices down, keep it more fun.”
While last year’s Fillies were making their first state finals appearance since 2005, most of these Fillies know about the long road trip and overnight stay before one match for PIAA gold.
This year’s title match has caused Marian’s District 11 Class A championship football game Saturday to be moved to the evening so the volleyball team and its fans can make the 3½-hour trip back from Johnstown by game time.
On the other hand, the focus at Greensburg Central Catholic (22-1) is solely on its first-ever appearance in a PIAA championship volleyball match.
The squad features a deep 17-girl roster with seven seniors, including three four-year starters.
Two sisters, senior Leah and sophomore Mikayla Bisignani, each stand 6-foot-1, though the latter comes off the bench. The former and teammate Lauren Nolfi were named to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association Class A All-State Team last season.
“A lot of my girls did not play together. They were scattered among several clubs,” Greensburg Central Catholic head coach Heather Meyer said. “But that’s a good thing because each girl learns different things. But the thing is that when they come back to me, they do it my way.”
This weekend’s setting will be new to both teams after the Fillies won last year’s title at Central York High School. That venue had hosted the finals for 27 straight years before the PIAA moved the event to Johnstown this year.
Richland High School is just 90 minutes away from Greensburg Central Catholic by car, Meyer said, but the Centurions will spend tonight in the Johnstown area.
“This should be special for them,” she said, adding the focus in practices has been improved play after the Centurions needed five sets to eliminate District 9 champion Clarion on Tuesday.
Marian has a pep rally planned for this morning prior to the Fillies’ departure before noon.
Fallabel is hoping his team, which has a 5 p.m. practice today in Johnstown, gets the chance to visit the match venue to see the surroundings.
Even though most went to York in 2013, Marian’s players say the entire experience is not routine.
“To expect the unexpected,” senior setter Abby O’Donnell said about the lesson of Marian’s title run. “We didn’t know a lot about the team (Cochranton) we played last year. A bunch of us were kind of intimidated by what we saw, but it didn’t show through our team. We had an amazing warm-up last year in the state finals, and I think that carried us through our game.”
Some of that warm-up features songs and dance, which this year has been orchestrated by senior outside hitter Kaylee Ceci.
Her playing role has been relegated largely to serving because of a torn ligament suffered in September 2013 that still forces her to wear a left knee brace.
“I’ve realized that serving is a bigger part (of the game), not just the hitting, passing, setting. I’ve learned it all now,” Ceci said, adding the versatility of this year’s Fillies is greater than last year’s squad that went 24-2.
As an example, junior outside hitter Courtney McCall may replace O’Donnell at setter next season.
“You just have to give it your all every single game,’’ McCall said, “no matter what, even if the game isn’t going in your favor.”
That has been a rare instance in 2014. Marian has a chance Saturday to complete a volleyball version of a baseball no-hitter. The Fillies have not lost a dual-match set all season with just the state finals remaining.
Like a manager watching his ace enter the bottom of the ninth inning of that no-hitter, Fallabel is guarding his optimism that the streak will continue just one more day.
“Are we the best team out there ... or are we the best team in the East?,” Fallabel said. “Will we go there and get our socks blown off? I don’t know.
“We know how to play, we know how to serve. and that will be the key, how effective our serving is.”
Greensburg Central Catholic Centurions
(22-1)
Head Coach
Heather Meyer 8th season
Assistant Coaches
Erin Kuncher, Robyn Klimke,
Mary Anne Stunja
Roster
No. Name Grade
2 Haley Moore Soph.
3 Lauren Nolfi Sr.
4 Taylor Obusek Soph.
9 Emma Taormina Jr.
10 Abbey Mirigliano Sr.
12 Haley Farmerie Jr.
13 Christina Cochenour Soph.
14 Kristin Hickey Jr.
15 Brittany Stawovy Soph.
17 Veronica Komoroski Sr.
18 Kennedy Johnston Soph.
20 Megan Stunja Sr.
21 Leah Bisignani Sr.
23 Caroline Perz Soph.
24 Megan Palcic Sr.
25 Mikayla Bisignani Soph.
26 Rachel Moore Sr.
2014 Results
Date Opponent Score
9/2 Leechburg 3-0
9/3 at Springdale 3-0
9/8 at St. Joseph 3-0
9/9 Trinity Christian 3-0
9/15 at Apollo-Ridge 3-0
9/16 Riverview 3-0
9/19 at Hempfield 2-3
9/25 at Leechburg 3-0
9/26 Norwin 3-0
9/30 Springdale 3-0
10/4 North Star 3-1
10/6 at Trinity Christian 3-0
10/7 St. Joseph 3-0
10/9 at Riverview 3-0
10/14 Apollo-Ridge 3-0
10/15 Thomas Jefferson 3-0
WPIAL Class A Playoffs
10/23 Riverview 3-0
10/28 OLSH 3-0
10/30 Shenango 3-0
11/1 Bishop Canevin 3-2
PIAA Class A Playoffs
11/4 North Star 3-1
11/8 Maplewood 3-0
11/11 Clarion 3-2
PIAA Class A Championship
at Richland High School
11 a.m. Saturday vs. Marian
Marian Fillies (25-0)
Head Coach
John Fallabel 12th season
Assistant Coaches
Rachel Krajcirik, Maria Currie
Roster
No. Name Grade
3 Abby Pilla Jr.
4 Cassandra Hoben Sr.
7 Courtney McCall Jr.
9 Alex Stroia Sr.
10 Maureen Kloap Jr.
12 Gianna Agosti Fr.
14 Rachel Meier Sr.
15 Lauren Nietz Sr.
16 Danielle Spillman Jr.
21 Jasmine Mooney Fr.
24 Jenna O’Donnell Soph.
25 Kaylee Ceci Sr.
27 Abby O’Donnell Sr.
28 Miranda Antiga Soph.
29 Emily Pilla Sr.
33 Abby Stankiewitch Jr.
2014 Results
Date Opponent Score
9/3 Holy Redeemer 3-0
9/4 at Lourdes 3-0
9/9 North Schuylkill 3-0
9/11 Pine Grove 3-0
9/15 at Panther Valley 3-0
9/16 Pottsville 3-0
9/18 at Blue Mountain 3-0
9/22 at Tamaqua 3-0
9/23 at Lehighton 3-0
9/24 at Nativity 3-0
9/25 Jim Thorpe 3-0
9/29 Notre Dame-GP 3-0
9/30 Lourdes 3-0
10/1 Mahanoy Area 3-0
10/2 at North Schuylkill 3-0
10/6 at NW Lehigh 3-0
10/7 at Pine Grove 3-0
10/8 Panther Valley 3-0
Schuylkill League Playoffs
10/14 Millersburg 3-0
10/16 Nativity 3-0
District 11 Class A Playoffs
10/28 Tri-Valley 3-0
10/30 Nativity 3-0
PIAA Class A Playoffs
11/4 Lititz Christian 3-0
11/8 Sacred Heart 3-0
11/11 Troy 3-0
PIAA Class A Championship
at Richland High School
11 a.m. Saturday vs. GCC
PIAA Girls’ Volleyball Tournament Capsule
CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP
Marian (25-0) vs. Greensburg Central Catholic (22-1)
When: Saturday, 11 a.m.
Where: Richland High School, Johnstown
How they got here: District 11 champion Marian swept past District 3 runner-up Lititz Christian, 25-18, 25-18, 25-13, in the first round and then defeated District 1 champion Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, 25-20, 25-12, 25-9 in the quarterfinals. The Fillies beat District 4 champion Troy, 25-13, 25-14, 25-11, in Tuesday’s quarterfinals. District 7 champion Greensburg Central Catholic topped District 5 champion North Star, 25-18, 24-26, 25-17, 25-16, in the opening round and swept District 10 champion Maplewood, 27-25, 25-17, 25-17, in the quarterfinals. The Centurions rallied past District 9 champion Clarion, 23-25, 17-25, 25-20, 25-23, 15-12, in Tuesday’s semifinals.
Head coaches: Marian — John Fallabel, 12th season; Greensburg Central Catholic — Heather Meyer, 8th season
Starting rotations: Marian — Cassandra Hoben (sr., MH), Alex Stroia (sr., OH), Maureen Kloap (jr., OH), Lauren Nietz (sr., L), Abby O’Donnell (sr., S), Emily Pilla (sr., OPP), Abby Stankiewitch (jr., MH); Greensburg Central Catholic — Leah Bisignani (sr., S-MH), Megan Stunja (sr., OH), Lauren Nolfi (sr., OH), Rachel Moore (sr., L), Haley Moore (soph., S), Kristin Hickey (sr., OH), Abbey Mirigliano (sr., DS)
Scouting the Fillies: Ranked third in the latest Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association Class A poll, Marian continues its status as one of the PIAA’s perennial powerhouses by bidding for its second consecutive state championship. Back-to-back titles haven’t been achieved by a Class A program since Reading Central Catholic, which has since been combined with Reading Holy Name into Berks Catholic, in 2006-07. ... Marian won the PIAA crown in 2003, the first season the PIAA separated its volleyball programs into three classes. ... The Fillies are making their fourth state final appearance, all under Fallabel. ... Fallabel was inducted into the Marian Athletic Hall of Fame in October. ... The Fillies have won their past 39 dual matches. Marian has won its last 26 by three-set sweeps since a 3-0 victory over District 10 champion Cochranton in last season’s PIAA championship match. ... In its first season since the league’s realignment, Marian won the Schuylkill League’s Division II with a 13-0 record. ... Marian defeated Nativity three times, including once each for the Schuylkill League and District 11 Class A championships. ... The Fillies have won two straight league crowns and three straight district championships. ... O’Donnell has more than 3,400 assists in her four-year career. ... Stankiewitch and Pilla each has surpassed 500 career kills. ... Three Fillies — Pilla, Nietz and O’Donnell — were named to the Schuylkill League Girls’ Volleyball All-Star Game roster, but did not play in Wednesday’s event because of their participation in the PIAA playoffs.
Scouting the Centurions: Greensburg Central Catholic, ranked first in the PVCA coaches’ poll, is making its first-ever appearance in a state championship match. ... The Centurions are the first Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League team to reach the PIAA finals since West Allegheny made the Class AA title match in 2010. ... Greensburg Central Catholic has reached the WPIAL Class A final four times in the past seven years and won two titles, including this season. ... Greensburg Central Catholic won the WPIAL Class A Section 1 championship with a 12-0 record. ... A District 7 team has not won a PIAA championship since West Allegheny in Class AA in 2006. ... The Centurions’ lone loss of the season to Hempfield Area included a set with a 36-34 score. ... Leah Bisignani is a three-time WPIAL Class A first-team all-star, while Stunja and Rolfi are two-time first-team selections. ... The Bisignanis are sisters, as are the Moores. ... Leah Bisignani recorded 30 kills and Stunja had 10 in Greensburg Central Catholic’s semifinal win over Clarion, the Centurions’ 16th win in a row. ... Greensburg Central Catholic also won the West Shamokin Tournament championship during the season with victories over Indiana, Kittanning and Ford City.
Directions: From Schuylkill County, take Interstate 81 south. Take Exit 52 toward I-76/New Kingstown/Middlesex. Turn right onto Route 11 South. Exit onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike and travel 81 miles west. Take Exit 146 onto U.S. 220 North/Interstate 99 North. Take Exit 3 onto Route 56 west toward Johnstown/Cessna. Travel 27 miles. Turn left onto Theatre Drive. Continue straight onto Academic Avenue. Richland High School will be on the right.
Game information
Admission: $8 per adult, $4 per student
TV: Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) will show taped coverage at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16.