MINERSVILLE — The stars weren’t exactly shining bright for Marian’s volleyball team on Thursday night.

True, the Fillies managed to defeat underrated Salem Christian Academy in their District 11 Class 1A semifinal matchup.

But the victory could be called an ugly one, as the team wasn’t at the top of their game. Marian head coach Marie Currie flat out said so after advancing to the finals.

The Fillies are moving on, but not with the performance that the squad often produces.

Currie’s club took a 25-21 decision in the first set, and seemed to get their engine running with a 25-13 win in set No. 2.

But the visiting Eagles from Macungie battled back and tasted victory in the third set, extending the match with a 26-24 score.

In the fourth set, the upstart Eagles continued to frustrate the favorites. At one point, Salem came close to a knockout punch as it rallied from being down 21-19 to rattle off four unanswered points to go in front, 23-21.

“I didn’t know what to think at that point,” said Currie. “But you’ve got to play better than we did. (Salem) was playing to win.”

In contrast, it looked like Marian was playing not to lose, which isn’t a good thing in sports.

But somehow the Fillies found enough gumption to prevent defeat and forged a 24-24 tie. Salem managed to regain the advantage 26-25 before an unforced error created the 21st tie of the set.

Kali Grochowski finally ended the drama as she delivered a pair of aces to close out a 28-26 Marian win, and punch its ticket to the championship round, which will be held Wednesday at Martz Hall with a 5 p.m. start.

“We just wanted to play for the glory of God, go out and have fun,” said Salem mentor Melissa Weigner.

One problem the Fillies had a tough time figuring out was 6-1 senior Becky Held. While she wasn’t a rugged player that produced constant slams, her presence caused Marian to overplay her at times.

When Held looked like she was going to offer a possible slam, she just tipped the ball over the outstretched arms of the Fillies to pick up easy points. Held, despite her length, produced tip after tip, which drove the Fillies daffy.

“The tallness was a factor, and I felt (middle hitter) Alena (Lombardo) had a great game, but you can see her timing was way off and I attribute that to a (nine-day) layoff,” Currie said.

The Eagles weren’t intimidating, but they just used the “firepit” in the middle of the floor.

“They scored some points because they found that firepit,” Currie said. “When you get that opening, that’s where you want to place the ball… and they did an excellent job of taking advantage of the hole.”

Marian may have been a bit frustrated at times, too.

Though it easily sauntered to an opening-set lead of 22-18 behind a great supporting cast of Lara Viktoria Cancio, Maddy Davis and Eris Hayes, it didn’t feel like the level of offense that the Fillies often use to give opponents fits.

That offense, however, arrived in the second set.

Marian fired on all cylinders and jumped out to a commanding 20-8 lead. Isabella Horvat was outstanding, as was Grochowski and Caydense Smith. Lombardo was also doing her thing at the net — flushing point after point.

It looked like all was well for the Fillies and a sweep seemed imminent.

But then things unraveled a bit. The Eagles started gaining confidence and went on to win the third set.

Salem star hitter Ema Bose banged away kills. Held made tiny swats for points and freshman Sydney Junge got into the flow as the Lehigh Valley team made life tough for Marian.

The Eagles won the set, but didn’t have enough staying power to force a fifth one.

“I think the big stage (made) us nervous,” Weigner said. “They’ve never been here before, but we were up to the challenge.”

That big stage is something past Marian teams have feasted upon. This time it almost got knocked off its feet.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” said Currie about trying to capture another championship.

NEW FACE IN FINALS … For the first time in over two decades, there will be a new opponent to meet Marian. Schuylkill League Division 2 champion Tri-Valley defeated Nativity and will square off against the Fillies. Since 2003, the district champion has been either Marian or Nativity.

BREAKDOWN … “One of our weaknesses as a team has been communication, but we got better near the end of the season. Now we reverted backwards,” said Currie on her team’s lack of communication.

ADDING IT UP … Lombardo and Horvat were a pair of killing machines as each finished with 13. Not far behind was Grochowski with nine and six digs. Davis came through with eight kills, an ace and two digs. Natallie Russell had a huge night, as the Salem libero had 44 digs. Held, a senior, had five blocks and 11 kills, while Bose had a solid game with 32 digs.