D-11 Girls’ Volleyball: Tri-Valley downs Marian, claims Class A crown

Tri-Valley's volleyball team poses with the District 11 Class A Trophy (Photo by Eli Doyle).

POTTSVILLE — For the first time in more than 20 years, neither Marian nor Nativity is the District 11 Class A girls’ volleyball champion.

This year, it was Tri-Valley who claimed the crown.

Callie Melocheck, Faith Melocheck and Liv Lupole paced the Dawgs as Tri-Valley defeated Marian 26-24, 26-24, 25-27, 25-18 in the District 11 Class A championship Wednesday at Martz Hall.

“We had to have touches and put it where they weren’t,” Tri-Valley coach Courtney Scheib said. “It really got into their heads, and it worked for us.”

It was a fierce competition from the first score until the last for the Dawgs and Fillies.

The first three sets all came down to which team could put the other away. Tri-Valley (18-4) got the better of the first two sets by the same score, 26-24.

In the first set, Marian (18-5) briefly took the lead 24-23 before the Dawgs ripped off three consecutive scores to win the set.

Tri-Valley took control of the second set 13-10 following two aces from Callie Melochick and a block by Emma Moore. The Dawgs wouldn’t relinquish the lead in the set as Faith Melocheck rattled off two kills the cap the set 26-24.

Marian flipped the script in final moments of the third set.

The Fillies trailed nearly the entire match, but never strayed far. Marian capitalized on three consecutive return errors by Tri-Valley to tie the set at 25 and win the set 27-25.

Marian continued to build momentum and put the pressure on the Dawgs, jumping ahead early and leading until the midway point of the fourth set.

Faith Melocheck collected a kill to tie the score at 15 before Tri-Valley regained the momentum. Faith Melochick and Lexi Lesher each chipped in a kill, Callie Melocheck notched an ace, Lupole added an ace and a kill, Marian had four errors and Ellie Dunkelberger had a kill to cap the set 25-18.

For the Fillies, Alena Lombardo had nine kills and a block, Kali Grochowski totaled 17 digs and seven kills, and Isabella Horvat 15 digs, three aces and three kills.

Marian was 2-0 in head-to-head matches with the Dawgs this year. It is certainly tough to beat a team three times in a season and Tri-Valley proved that tonight.

“We had to be confident,” Scheib said. “Each time we player we got closer and closer. We were taking it this time and that’s what we did. Third time’s a charm.”