Nativity’s head volleyball coach just looked up at the scoreboard, put her head down, then proceeded to collect herself.

“You know this is a darn tough place to play,” said coach Jen Daubert. “If you think it’s going to be easy to get a win here, you better have a second thought … these kids play hard every single match.”

The Green Wave is a sure-bet contender to perhaps capture the Schuylkill Girls’ Volleyball League. They have lived up to the preseason hype, firing out to a 3-0 record after taking down Weatherly in three sets, 25-15, 25-12 and 25-10.

“Those scores aren’t the real story,” continued Daubert. “They were there for every single set. I am totally impressed with that team. They’re going to make some noise.”

For sure, the Wreckers sent an echo through the league with their athletic-type players.

“I like what I see of our team,” said Weatherly coach Nicole Hinkle. “Right now we’re not physically fit. We’re just starting to get our legs (in shape). But overall, I like our chances a lot. I think we can win some, and if we can hold our own with the good teams, that will only build our confidence up.”

In the opening set, Weatherly trailed by six points (18-12), before hitching its wagon to the play of Alexis Wilkinson, Emily Zoscin and Nikki Polivka. The trio helped cut the lead to 17-14, before the visitors regrouped and rode the strong play of middle-hitter Megan Jacoby to stave off the potential momentum Weatherly was building.

“I’ll tell you during that set they had a chance to make a run at us,” said Daubert. “Thanks to Megan, we held them off.”

Nativity then jumped out to a commanding 10-3 lead to open set two en route to the win.

“We just didn’t have our footing there,” said Hinkle. “Despite the score, however, I thought our play overall was outstanding. At times, we showed a lot of confidence going up against a great team like Nativity.”

The Green Wave opened the third set strong as well, jumping out to a commanding 13-3 lead and maintaining a comfortable advantage the reast of the way.

“I felt a whole lot better after the way we opened the third set,” said Daubert. “Not that we were taking them for granted, but we had finally taken control. They’re going to be a team to watch for the rest of the season.”

Hinkle feels the same way. “It’s just a matter of us getting a few wins from here on out. We are going to get better.”

BY THE NUMBERS

… Allison Clarke had a big night for the winners with 12 kills. Luca Walborn tacked on 23 assists. For Weatherly, Zoscin and Wilkinson led the way defensively with 12 and eight digs, respectively. Polivka played well at the net with a pair of kills and two blocks.

IMPRESSING

… Polivka is an imposing figure at the net at 6-0, and does a quality job overall. Zoscin and Wilkinson impressed as well with their back row quickness and their ability to get off their feet at the net.