FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — One look at the Schuylkill League girls’ volleyball standings might tell you nothing has changed.
When Marian defeated North Schuylkill, 25-9, 25-13, 25-10, on Tuesday night, the Fillies tied Panther Valley for the Division II lead.
But plenty has changed for the Fillies, coming off back-to-back appearances in the PIAA Class A championship match.
“We have an injury and we’re trying to find a lineup,” Marian head coach John Fallabel said. “We tried something new tonight and we’re going to run it through this tournament (Saturday at Parkland) and see how it goes.”
Though some pieces of Marian’s PIAA Tournament squad remain, there are enough newcomers to provide a challenge for Fallabel and his assistant coaches.
The record reflects it.
Marian may be pacing its division, but the Fillies also lost non-league matches against state powers Bethlehem Catholic and Holy Redeemer.
Marian (2-2, 2-0 D-II) also lost every set in pool play at the recent Garden Spot Invitational Tournament. The New Holland event featured 20 teams, most of which qualified for the PIAA Tournament in its three classes in 2014.
But Fallabel said the Fillies’ record matters little, especially now.
“I told the girls ... that there’s a method to my madness,” he said. “We’ve got another killer tournament this weekend and probably will come away with no wins, but it doesn’t matter.”
He added, “We’ve got three big league games next week, so there’s no end in sight with tough teams.
“But that is the master plan, to push them really hard early. What our record is is our record. It will all come out in the wash, and we’re preparing for October.”
By then, Fallabel is hoping the chemistry that characterized the past two seasons will be emerging.
“I sat down the team in a circle. There are eight primary players and I said to two of them, ‘Mo (Maureen Kloap), how many years have you been a starter? ‘Well, this is my third.’ ‘Abby (Stankiewitch)?’ ‘This is my fourth.’
“ ‘OK, look around you. Do you see any other faces you saw on the court before? No, they’re gone.’ ”
That includes last year’s Republican-Herald All-Area Player of the Year, Abby O’Donnell. In her place as team’s starting setter stands senior Courtney McCall.
“Now, she’s running the show, and it’s a lot on her shoulders,” Fallabel said. “Am I riding her? Yeah. We’re pushing her, and I told her tonight we’re trying to cram three years of volleyball coaching down your throat in a two-month period.
“She’s played it in winter ball, but this is the real deal now. This is the high school season.”
Tuesday night, McCall produced 19 assists as Marian only trailed briefly in the first and second sets en route to the sweep of the Spartans.
Kloap led Marian with 12 kills, and Fallabel said the Fillies had a goal to use her more in an offense dominated by the middle hitter, Stankiewitch.
“We wanted to fix Mo tonight, and I think we did,” he said, but he noted the Fillies are still missing junior outside hitter Miranda Antiga, whose season stopped because of a high ankle sprain that is slow to heal.
Kloap added three aces and eight digs. Stankiewitch had four kills, five aces and three digs. Jasmine Mooney had six kills, four aces and five digs.
North Schuylkill was paced by junior setter Vanessa Ferraiolo, who had 11 assists. Leanna Gregas added four kills.
Marian also won the junior varsity match, 2-0.