When Marian’s youthful volleyball team opened its first set with visiting Tri-Valley Thursday evening, the Fillies had a take-no-prisoners look in their eye.

They were bouncing with determination, and had a fierce attack at the net and from the backline.

No matter where you looked, there were Fillies. No missing holes, just outright hustle.

But the pedal-to-the-metal attack wasn’t going to hit on all cylinders all evening; it’s just too hard to sustain such a pace.

Behind a triumvirate of terrific underclassmen, and a supporting cast, too, Marian took a huge step in taking control of Division 2 of the Schuylkill Volleyball League after foiling any momentum Tri-Valley was looking for, in four sets 25-14, 19-25, 25-15 and a thrilling final set — 29-27.

“That was one heck of a set,” said Marie Currie, Marian’s first-year coach, as her team improved to 8-1 alongside arch rivals Nativity in the league.

Come Tuesday in Hometown, things will in all probability be settled as to a divisional winner when the teams meet for the second time this season.

Tri-Valley (7-2) was trying to force a fifth set. And Marian nearly gave it away, too.

The Fillies rolled out to a lead. Then they turned to their trio of splendid athletes.

There was lanky 6-foot junior middle hitter Alean Lombardo, sophomore sensation Kali Grochowski, and junior outside hitter Isabella Horvat, who ping-ponged her way all over the court — especially in the third set.

Horvat helped flip the script along with Lombardo early in the set with four kills to help her team forge a commanding 24-11 lead.

“She had 33 attacks,” Currie said. “She’s our go-to. She’s our best hitting percentage, and has only had two serving errors the whole year.”

In the fourth and clinching set, it was a true heated battle.

First Marian looked to be in the catbird seat, rolling out to an 18-11 lead. But suddenly, the ship took a hit to the bow thanks in part to the play of Bulldog outside hitter Aubrianna Zimmerman, Ellie Dunkleberger and Liv Lupole.

Tri-Valley snatched the momentum to its corner and was in set point at 24-22 thanks to a pair of errors, but Grochowski stuffed a pair of back-to-back kills for a tie, and the seesaw affair was commencing.

Lombardo waffled a shot back at the Tri-Valley defense to retie the game 27-27, and when the visitors committed two net errors, the issue was finally settled.

“It’s a case of trusting ourselves, and we are starting to trust in each other,” Currie said. “The biggest thing that we are starting to learn is communicating with each other. Once we start to do that better, then we become a better team.”

Certainly, that showed up in the first set.

“I’ll tell you that was as impressive as we’ve been all season,” Currie said as Marian made just nine errors in the nine-point win.

However, the Fillies stumbled and fumbled their way in the second set, which found Tri-Valley dominating at times. The ‘Dawgs took a lead of 22-14, riding the play of Lupole, Hope Burso and Faith Melochick, before finishing the set win on a block from Dunkleberger at the net.

“This game is a game of errors, the team that makes less errors is going to win most times,” Currie said. “We played pretty clean most of the night.”

COUNTING ‘EM UP … Lombardo was the kill leader for Marian with 15, Grochowski had six, while Horvat finished with 10 to go along with 17 digs. Caydense Smith piled up 22 digs, and Eris Hayes led in assists with 39. Lupole had four aces for Tri-Valley, while teammates Kina Klinger (28 digs) and Dunkleberger (seven kills) also had strong outings.

QUOTABLE … “Our players are young, and they’re like a sponge,” said Currie. “They want to learn so much. They’re so team-oriented. I tell Grochowski go here and she does it, same for Horvat and Lombardo.”

ROCK THE JOINT … Tuesday will be a huge draw with Nativity. The Holy Wars are back on center stage.