POTTSVILLE – Twice during the regular season, Nativity came up short against rival Marian.

On Monday night, the Hilltoppers picked the perfect time to turn the tables.

Nativity stunned the favored Fillies 3-1 in the District 11 Class 1A girls volleyball semifinals at Martz Hall, earning a spot in the championship match with a 19-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21 victory.

Marian had won the previous two meetings, 3-0 and 3-1, leaving Nativity with just one set victory against its Schuylkill League Division II rival.

For longtime Nativity coach Jenny Daubert, the formula behind the breakthrough was simple.

“Practice, practice and practice.”

The Hilltoppers were tenacious, aggressive and determined, overcoming an opening-set loss to take control of the match and end Marian’s season.

“We just had everybody step up to the plate, we just practiced and practiced and practiced,” Daubert said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Nativity also executed its game plan, attacking Marian from every angle behind the play of freshman Molly Holiday and seniors Finley McNamara and Madison Purcell. The Hilltoppers found ways to limit the impact of Marian standouts Kali Grochowski, Maddy Davis and Addy Marek.

“We knew how good Marian was, and the toughest thing in sports (is to) beat the same team three times … it’s just one of those classic rivals,” Daubert said.

It was another memorable chapter in the “Holy War” rivalry between the two Schuylkill County Catholic schools.

“We have so much respect for them, but I am so proud of the effort we had,” Daubert added.

Marian appeared in control early, building a 23-16 lead in the opening set with the help of three aces during the run.

The Fillies closed out the set 25-19, but Nativity was beginning to find its rhythm.

“We lost intensity, that’s for sure,” Marian coach Maria Currie said. “They stepped it up, we just didn’t get our feet under us …”

The Hilltoppers carried that energy into the second set, making plays with their blocking and back-row defense while refusing to let balls hit the floor.

“I said we didn’t leave a ball drop,” Daubert said of her defenders. “To us that was big.”

Nativity built a 23-18 advantage before Addison Ricard delivered an ace and Holiday added a kill to help secure a 25-22 victory and even the match.

The Hilltoppers continued to press the advantage in the third set.

“We just scrambled, we just served and went aggressive and hit the ball wherever we could. It was just so impressive,” Daubert said.

Holiday hammered away at the net, while McNamara provided powerful attacks along the front line as Nativity surged ahead 22-14.

Marian battled back, but the Hilltoppers held on for another 25-22 win to move within one set of the upset.

The fourth set was tightly contested, with the teams tied at 9, 12 and 14 before Nativity began to pull away.

Purcell sparked the Hilltoppers from the service line, recording three aces during a run that helped build a 19-14 lead.

Marian wasn’t finished.

The Fillies rallied to tie the score at 20 and again at 21, setting up a tense finish.

But Nativity had the answers, with Holiday, McNamara and Ricard all helping the Hilltoppers close out the 25-21 victory and complete the upset.

The Hilltoppers celebrated on the Martz Hall floor while the stunned Fillies were left to absorb a season-ending loss.

For Nativity, the celebration came with another challenge ahead.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Daubert said, looking ahead to Thursday’s district championship match against top-seeded Bethlehem Christian at Catasauqua.

But for one night, the longtime coach could savor a victory that had eluded her team throughout the regular season.

QUOTABLE … “They truly have some great players, and we did a fantastic job of (defending),” Daubert said, praising her team and Marian.

BY THE NUMBERS … Holiday delivered a standout performance with 18 kills. McNamara added 16 kills, Ricard finished with 31 assists and Amara Miller contributed 24 digs.

LAST DANCE … Marian graduates four seniors: Deana Pugh, Maiya Vavro, Grochowski and Maisie Petschauer.