Marian knew Hazleton Area would present a different kind of challenge Wednesday evening.

The Cougars brought plenty of size and power to the net, forcing the Fillies to adjust as the non-league girls volleyball match unfolded.

And while Hazleton Area eventually came away with a 3-1 (25-14, 25-20, 16-25, 25-20) victory, Marian showed it could adapt and compete against a Class 6A opponent.

The loss was the first of the young season for the Fillies, who entered the match 2-0 after road victories over both Pine Grove and Minersville earlier this week.

Hazleton Area’s size and strength along the front line presented Marian with problems early.

“Those big girls aren’t just big, they’re talented,” Marian coach Maria Currie said. “They hit the ball, they’re very well positioned, and they are a strong team.”

Hazleton Area coach Carmen Ramos said her team’s ability to establish the tempo early was part of the game plan.

“Marian has such great tradition, our kids respect them, but we needed to play well in all of our sets,” Ramos said.

The Cougars immediately put Marian on its heels, racing to leads of 17-6 and 22-12 in the opening set.

Hazleton Area’s tall front line was imposing, particularly 6-foot-2 junior Kali Eberts, whose power was every bit as noticeable as her height. When Eberts wasn’t doing the damage, the Cougars could turn to Evangeline Tidwell, Ava Dorneman and Jessica Rodriguez.

Marian initially tried attacking over Hazleton Area’s blockers without much success.

That began to change when the Fillies, led by Kutztown-bound Kali Grochowski, Addy Marek, Maddy Davis and sophomore JoElle Currie, started attacking down the line.

“Once we started to attack down the line, we found out that we can produce points,” Maria Currie said.

At times, the match developed into a showcase between Grochowski and Eberts. When Grochowski wasn’t putting down kills, she was setting up teammates and helping the Fillies find their rhythm against Hazleton Area’s imposing front line.

Eberts, however, repeatedly answered whenever Marian appeared ready to gain a foothold.

After dropping the opening set, the Fillies began to settle in during the second.

Grochowski collected three early kills, while Davis found her stroke and buried a kill that gave Marian a 13-10 advantage. The set was tied at 16, before the Cougars regained control down the stretch to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

“We got that rally late in that set,” Ramos said. “And when Kali (Eberts) got going, that was a big lift for us. Had we lost that set, who knows what might have happened.”

Marian showed why Ramos felt that way in the third set.

Leading 14-13, the Fillies broke loose and surged ahead 23-16. Grochowski, Currie, Marek and Davis all contributed as Marian found the balance it had been searching for.

Grochowski put an exclamation point on the 25-16 victory with a powerful kill on set point.

Hazleton Area regained the upper hand in the fourth. Eberts’ blocking, along with strong play from Tidwell and Dorneman, helped the Cougars build a 24-17 advantage.

Marian fought off three match points, before Eberts delivered the final kill to close out the victory.

“If anything, we learned that we could play with a 6A school,” Maria Currie said. “It will help us down the road.”

SHE’S FIERY … Marian’s Marek, also a standout basketball player, is only in her second season of volleyball but brings plenty of energy to the court.

GREAT MATCHUP … Hazleton Area’s size was a major factor early, but Marian found more success once it adjusted its attack and began working around the Cougars’ size rather than trying to overpower it.

BY THE NUMBERS … Grochowski finished with 15 kills and seven digs, while Marek produced 11 kills and Currie handed out 30 assists. Eberts powered Hazleton Area with 26 kills, Tidwell recorded 18 service points and Dorneman added nine kills.

TWO OUT OF THREE … Marian is 2-1 to start the season after defeating Pine Grove and Minersville on the road earlier this week.