MIDDLETOWN - It's not how you start, it's how you finish.

But it's hard to finish, if you struggle at the start.Early and often, Marian dug itself into a hole in the PIAA Class A semifinal match against North Star on Tuesday.The Fillies did rally to become the first team to take a set from North Star this season. But in the end, the early deficits proved too much to overcome as they fell in four sets, 25-20, 25-23, 19-25, 25-14.Uncharacteristically, the Fillies looked out of sync in beginning of the first two sets. Marian trailed 14-3 at one point in the first, but only lost by five points. The second set was decided by just two points, but Marian was slow out of the gate once more."They played better than us," Marian head coach Doc Fallabel said. "In the second set, we changed up the lineup a little. We played the best we could, but we kept making a lot of mistakes. We're used to being down. We've played a lot of big schools, we've lost the first set of some big matches."It's never been easy for this team, and it was a struggle again tonight - and the other team came out on top."The stars shined bright for the Lady Cougars during Tuesday's semifinal win. The Cougars' front-line was often able to get a piece of the Fillies' blasts, forcing Fallabel's squad to try and use finesse tactics. The height and aggression at the net of North Star was a huge component of its victory."With the athleticism of some of my players, we've been blocking pretty well all season," explained North Star head coach Tony Crisafulli. "All of the girls play basketball and it really helped us out in the long run. I've said it several times, it's not an athlete that's playing for herself. It's not one trying to out do the other. They're a team - and they all play for each other."Fallabel agreed that defense ultimately was the deciding factor in the contest."They have great defense, they cover, and their pursuit was outstanding," he said. "That is what beat us. I think, straight up hitters, yeah, we could match up, but they got the ball up from every one of our hitters and we couldn't get the ball up on their hitters."Six-foot North Star junior Jackie Stanko was smashing the ball all night, and was a giant obstacle defensively at the net. Stanko tallied 23 kills and four blocks during the win.A pair of always-reliable seniors led the Fillies to their third-set victory. Maureen Kloap strung together some late service points, and Abigail Stankiewitch played extremely well around the net. Stankiewitch showcased her power time and time again, as she capped off her prolific career with 14 kills and a pair of blocks against North Star."She (Stankiewitch) played a really good match today," Fallabel said. "She's a gamer, she wasn't feeling well and got sick between sets, but she would never say a word. She told me she played her best, and that's all I could ask for. She's really worked her butt off the past two years."Courtney McCall was part of a group of five seniors that reached two consecutive state finals - and almost a third. She ended a successful career with 34 assists and six digs last night."We knew what to expect and we knew how to handle the pressure," McCall said. "Tonight they (North Star) played great. We gave it our all and I'm really proud of our team. We're like a family. They're all my sisters that always have my back. It shows on the court, because we wouldn't' have came this far if we didn't trust each other."Fallabel was proud of another great run by the Fillies."Four consecutive times deep into the state playoffs, you can't beat it," he said. "It's just awesome. I'm very happy and it's all good. We got beat and that's OK - it's a learning experience. The seniors will graduate. Part of my job is to help them move forward and help prepare them for life.MARSHA MARSHA MARSHA … "Jasmine Mooney, Jasmine Mooney, Jasmine Mooney," said Fallabel when asked what the future of the program will look like. The Fillies' second-year outside hitter made significant strides in her game this year. Mooney tallied 10 kills, 17 digs, and fives aces on Tuesday.CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR … The first set was the only, which didn't feature a tied score at one point or another between the two teams.THE STAGE IS SET … The PIAA Class A championship will be between North Star (25-0) and Bishop Canevin at Richland High School in Johnstown on Saturday.