Rebuild?

More like refresh and renew.

The Marian volleyball program might have a different look in 2018. But the Fillies still have plenty to be excited about.

Marian took another step forward Monday night, turning back a very game Lehighton squad 25-21, 15-25, 25-14, 25-16 in a Schuylkill League Division 1 contest.

“Coming into this season, we were the underdogs,” said junior Macie Mazalusky. “But we’re coming together as a team, and it’s really working well for us.”

Gone are several key pieces from last year’s PIAA Class 1A runner-up squad.

The departures have created openings – and opportunities.

“We have a team full of underclassmen – it’s all freshmen and sophomores,” said Mazalusky, who recorded 14 kills, two aces and eight digs. “It’s a change for us to have so many underclassmen, so it’s important for us to remind them who we are, what we should be doing and how we should be playing.”

Sophomore Tatianna Zeleniak flourished for the Fillies in the victory, posting a 91-percent serving percentage to go along with 33 assists, six kills and five digs.

“We didn’t have a strong serving night, as we tend to (do); we usually serve better than we did this evening,” said Lehighton head coach TJ O’Connor. “They served extremely well. That was definitely their strength tonight, and unfortunately our serve-receive wasn’t efficient enough to get the ball to our hitters. But other than that, I thought that was the biggest difference in the match between the two teams.”

Marian (2-3) struggled to find its rhythm early, trailing throughout the first set before taking a 17-16 lead. The Fillies put the set away 25-21 and jumped out to a 1-0 advantage.

The Indians’ (4-3) response was swift, controlling much of the second set. After the Fillies cut the deficit to 17-15, Gina Piccioni’s ace served out an 8-0 run and evened the match at 1-1.

“Our coaches know how to bring us up, we know how to bring each other up,” said Marian’s Antonina Zeleniak, who finished with two kills, two aces and 20 digs. “I believe sometimes the little losses in a game are just a bump in the road. We know how to get back from it.”

The Fillies looked comfortable and confident in each of the final two sets, going up 12-5 in each before closing them out, 25-14 and 25-16, respectively.

Senior Kate Spillman (21 digs, two assists) and sophomores Alivia Karchner (eight kills, two digs, three blocks) and Jamie Wheeler (eight kills, one assist, three digs) continued their strong play and showed the team’s mix of youth and experience is coming together, something that’s no surprise to Zeleniak.

“I’m not hoping (for) it; it’s already starting to click,” she said. “From the beginning of the season to now, we’ve improved so much when it comes to teamwork, communication, just support in general, and just being there for each other.”

O’Connor praised his squad, which is also in transition.

“I think it was a great opportunity to see two teams that are learning while they play, while they’re on the job,” he said. “I really feel like Marian is a great program. They’re playing some younger players up just like we are, and it was a nice opportunity for Doc and I, and we talked about it between games, and said, ‘Hey, our young players are doing some things well, and some things that are bad.’ Ultimately, the difference in the match was their serving, and our serve-receive. It sounds trite, but it’s true.”

Freshman Alyssa Frey finished with 12 assists and one ace for the Indians, while seniors Samantha Banning (14 digs, two aces), Lillian Brown (13 digs, two aces) and Emily Miller (six kills, four digs, three blocks) also turned in strong performances.

BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS … While some of the names and faces might be different, the goals for a Marian squad that has won six straight District 11 titles remain the same. “Tonight was a really big confidence-booster for all of us. We really just need this kind of boost to show we have the power to win, and that no matter what anybody else says, we have the ability to win, and to make it to districts and win,” said Zeleniak.

SEE YOU AGAIN … The Fillies are scheduled to face the Indians again in their regular season finale.