The reigning Schuylkill League volleyball champions aren’t giving up their crown just yet.

Tri-Valley’s message remains the same: catch us if you can.

For Marian, it was a familiar and frustrating scenario.

The Fillies were unable to finish off the Bulldogs, much like last season.

Tri-Valley came out shaky and dropped the first set, 25-20, before regaining control with wins in the next two sets, 25-19 and 25-18. Marian refused to go away, winning the fourth set 25-17 to force a decisive fifth set. Once again, Tri-Valley rallied from the brink and escaped with a 16-14 victory.

The key during the middle sets was the play of Bulldogs outside hitters Faith Melocheck and Lexi Lesher. Instead of relying solely on power, the pair mixed in soft shots that repeatedly caught Marian’s defense off guard. When the Fillies expected a hard attack, the Bulldogs tipped the ball. When Marian anticipated a soft shot, both Melocheck and Lesher delivered a kill.

“Yes, we teach that,” Tri-Valley coach Courtney Schieb said. “You know you just can’t always slam a shot, sometimes you’ve got to get the other team off balance.”

That strategy worked well. Marian’s front line often found itself jumping to block hard shots only to be fooled by a softer touch.

“They’re a very good team, they made some points we just struggled,” Marian coach Maria Currie said afterward.

Marian looked sharp in the opening set. Sophomore JoElle Currie, the coach’s daughter, had an outstanding night. Whether she was attacking or setting up teammates, she consistently made plays. The teams were tied 16-16 before Marian broke through with a strong run to take a 22-18 lead.

Senior Kali Grochowski delivered a pair of kills, while Cara Renert added another key point. Three Tri-Valley errors helped Marian close out the first set.

“We didn’t get excited, just told the girls to continue to play hard,” Schieb said.

The Bulldogs responded in a big way.

Tri-Valley built a 15-6 lead in the second set behind Melocheck and Lesher. Marian fought back, tying the score at 17-17 with key plays from both Maddy Davis and JoElle Currie.

The momentum shifted again when Melocheck dropped in a soft kill that caught Marian flat-footed. Liv Witmer followed with an ace, helping Tri-Valley even the match at one set apiece.

“We just lost all the momentum, we got flat and they really took it to us,” Currie said.

Tri-Valley carried that momentum into the third set, racing to an 18-11 lead. Kenzie Tobin fueled the surge with multiple aces, and the Bulldogs cruised to the set win.

“It is always a tough match with Marian,” Schieb said. “They’ve got such great players and tradition. Our kids get a lot of credit for the way they came in here and played.”

The Bulldogs showed that toughness again in the deciding set.

Marian grabbed a 10-8 lead when JoElle Currie worked through the block for a kill and Davis added another point. After the teams were tied at 11, Marian moved ahead 14-12 behind an ace from Regan LeClair and a kill from Addy Marek.

But Tri-Valley’s confidence surfaced at the perfect time. Melocheck and Lesher both took control down the stretch and led the Bulldogs to victory.

“We’ll learn from this,” Currie said. “Yeah, it was a tough loss, and the season still is a long way to go.”

DRIVING AWAY ... At times, Marian was its own worst enemy. The Fillies struggled to find leadership during the middle sets, allowing Tri-Valley to seize control of the match.

WHO DID IT? ... JoElle Currie was Marian’s most valuable player. She consistently put herself in position to make plays and delivered several key hits.

Tri-Valley 3, Marian 2

Tri-Valley 20 25 25 17 16

Marian 25 19 18 25 14

Statistics: Tri-Valley - Kirra Klinger- 26 digs, 1 ace; Faith Melocheck 29 kills, 7 digs, 1 ace; Lexi Lesher 9 kills, 2 blocks; Kylie Clemmer 11 kills, 6 digs, 1 ace; Kenzie Tobin 53 assists, 12 digs, 1 ace; Liv Witmer 5 kills, 2 aces, 1 block; Ella Gemberling 6 aces; Marian - JoElle Currie: 6 kills, 19 digs, 27 assists; Kali Grochowski: 11 kills, 17 digs; Addy Marek: 13 kills, 10 digs, 4 blocks; Maddy Davis: 8 kills, 6 digs, 2 aces; Cara Renert: 2 kills, 2 aces; Regan LeClair: 1 kill, 9 assists, 22 digs.

Records: Tri-Valley (6-1; 5-0); Marian (5-2; 4-1).