MINERSVILLE – Last time out, it was a donnybrook.

That’s normally what you expect in Schuylkill County’s version of the Holy Wars - Marian vs. Nativity in volleyball. It runs at a high-pitch fever even during the regular season, but its the postseason where some of its greatest battles have been waged.

That wasn’t the case on Monday in the Schuylkill League quarterfinals, however.

This time the Green Wave was better as they rolled to a straight set, 25-12, 25-22 and 25-15 victory.

The win sends the Wave up against a tenacious Panther Valley squad this evening in the semifinal round. The Panthers took no prisoners as well, rolling past Tri-Valley in three sets to set up a 5:30 match at Pottsville’s Martz Hall in the opener of a doubleheader. The nightcap finds Pottsville meeting Blue Mountain.

Many thought the Marian-Nativity contest would feature a few nails being bitten. After all, it took five sets before Nativity prevailed in the regular season meeting in Hometown.

“It was just one of those games, and fortunately it was to our favor,” said highly-successful Nativity coach Jen Daubert about Monday’s sweep “During the regular season match, we were pushed to the limit and eventually pulled out the fifth game. It’s very difficult to play at their place. The crowd and the noise is a factor. Tonight, I think we felt a little more comfortable, and we did a great job of executing.”

No doubt about it.

The Green Wave put a quick hit on the Fillies in the opening set. They went on an 18-3 spree en route to breezing to the win. Outside hitter Juliana Carlson and 6-1 middle Arieanna Sherman both played well to lead the opening set blitz.

“We’re grinding at practice, but it just didn’t carry over on this particular evening,” said Marian coach Maria Serina.

There was a lifeline for the Fillies in the second set, as they jumped out to an 18-11 lead, but just couldn’t stay afloat. Nativity found a second breath of air. It crept back slowly and with authority and garnered a whole bunch of late momentum. Marian was still sitting on the lead at 21-18, but the Wave got on a roll and reeled off six straight points. Sherman started things with a kill, Sara Spolski bagged back-to-back kills, and a couple Marian errors had Nativity ahead 24-21. The Fillies stayed alive temporarily on a kill from Abbey Kluck, but it just delayed the inevitable as Nativity closed out the set for a 2-0 lead.

“I wasn’t comfortable even though we had the lead, because Marian is such a tough opponent and are so well coached,” Daubert said.

Marian hung close early and was trailing 14-10 before Nativity once again took charge and pulled away for the victory.

BY THE NUMBERS … Kluck played well in a losing effort for Marian with 11 kills and 11 digs; setter Julia Meiss had 32 assists, Isabella Horvath had 15 digs and Emily D’Amato added 11. The Wave was led by Sherman’s 10 kills; Ryleigh Sinko’s 32 assists, Spolski eight kills and Emma Liberman’s 12 digs.