Jim Thorpe first-year head girls volleyball coach Chris Fallabel is enjoying the moment.

With 12 underclassmen, three juniors and one senior on his roster, Fallabel assumed the moments would surface toward the end of the season. However, he has been pleasantly surprised.

Through their first eight matches, the Olympians posted an 8-0 record, and have already clinched a District 11 playoff berth in Class 2A. It has been a ride in which his squad hasn’t allowed its overall youth to deter it from taking some veteran steps forward.

“They don’t get caught up in everything,” said the effervescent Fallabel, the son of former legendary Marian head girls’ volleyball coach John “Doc” Fallabel. “They aren’t intimidated by some of the veteran teams out there.

“They are good, and they will get better.”

Fallabel noted his club has one senior, three juniors, and 12 underclassmen composed of freshmen and sophomores. His current rotation of eight players has one senior, two freshmen, two sophomores, and three juniors.

He also noted that the Olympians beat Pottsville, Blue Mountain, and North Schuylkill this season, which is believed to be a first for the program.

Outside hitter Leah Figura is the lone senior, and has become an integral veteran presence.

“We asked Leah to do some different things for us this year, and she embraced it,” gushed Fallabel. “Leah does the things that don’t always show up on the stat sheet. She does all the little things out there, and she is a plug for the team. She moved from the middle to the outside, and it has made a difference for us.”

Figura has taken a cautious approach to her team’s sudden growth spurt.

“This season could be a tough one,” she noted. “Overall, a lot of teams we are playing are very skilled, but our team is as well. We are very young this year, so we still have a lot of room to grow. But under the new coaching, we have really begun to thrive.

“In the end, we are looking for a fun, exciting, and successful season.”

Along with Figura, junior setter Maggy Hallihan has set the tone.

“As she goes, we go,” said Fallabel. “She is a setter who can do it all. Maggy doesn’t crack under the pressure.”

Fallabel also cited the play of sophomore outside hitter Brooke Mitzen along with fellow sophomore middle hitter Brianna Snisky, who have made their presence felt.

“These are two girls any coach would like to have,” stressed Fallabel. “They both have a great net presence, and their skills rub off of each other. They both have been solid for us.”

Freshmen middle hitter Kelsey Patton and defensive specialist Maura Malaska have also been steady contributors, along with junior opposite Priscilla Patton.

Junior libero Olivia Calcano has been consistent in her play, and Fallabel cited her reliability on the court.

So far, Fallabel also has been doing his homework and keeping it close to the vest.

“We have kept it honest and real,” he stated. “We check out as many scouting reports as we can, and we respect every team we play.

“We know we still have a lot of work to do, and we don’t take anything for granted.”

The first-year head coach is confident his team will hit its stride at the right time.

“I believe we can peak at the end of the season,” he said. “We still need to keep pushing for a couple of weeks.

“These girls are getting more confident, and there is a great chemistry here. They still have a ways to go this year and beyond.”

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THREE-PEAT

… Palmerton won its third straight Colonial League team title at the Colonial League championships at Bethlehem Municipal Golf Course Monday. Tyler Hager shot a 73 for second place. Connor Reinhard placed sixth and Nathan Steinmetz eighth for the Bombers. Ashton Lesher (13th), Aiden Leister (16th), Justin Sebelin (19th), Brayden Hosier (39th) and Dalton Rumfield (40th) rounded out the scoring.

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SCHUYLKILL LEAGUE HONORS

… After a fifth-place finish a year ago, Lehighton’s Trey Spring won the boys’ individual championship with a score of 78 at the Schuylkill League championships Monday. Spring was the only golfer to shoot in the 70s, while Jim Thorpe’s Mark Domski carded a hole-in-one on the fourth hole.

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SOPHOMORE SENSATION

… Pleasant Valley’s Lydon Patascher has been impressive all year. The sophomore finished his regular season this past week by shooting 69 to lead the Bears’ over East Stroudsburg South. That effort helped Patascher put the finishing touches on a spectacular sophomore season that saw him set the PV all-time single season scoring average record. He averaged 74.35, besting the old record of 76.5.

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FRONT-RUNNERS

… Several Times News coverage area runners enjoyed success during a Colonial League meet at Bicentennial Park on Sept. 13, with Northwestern’s Matthew Santana and Samuel Bower, and Palmerton’s Owen and Connor Hibell, all crossing the line in a pack. Santana led the way with a first-place finish in a time of 16:44, while Bower, and the Hibell brothers, all finished second, third and fourth respectively. The next day in a Schuylkill League meet at Pottsville, Jim Thorpe’s Jordan Remmel, and the Tamaqua trio of Tony Marchetti, Levi Kunkel and Adam Schock grabbed the top-four spots. Remmel led the way with a first-place finish in a time of 18:17, while Marchetti, Kunkel and Schock also finished second, third and fourth, respectively.

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SHUTOUT STREAK

… Over the last week, the Northern Lehigh girls’ soccer team was able to win three in a row. And the Bulldogs did so by recording three straight shutouts – a 2-0 win over Palisades on Monday, a 2-0 win over Tamaqua on Saturday and a 6-0 win over Pen Argyl last Thursday. Northern Lehigh got solid play on defense, and tremendous performances from goalie Dekotah Barthold, who finished with a total of 16 saves during the stretch.