How this senior setter willed Petersburg PORTA volleyball deeper into the playoffs
ATHENS — Alaina Marr shuddered at the thought of playing her final high school volleyball game.
That reality perhaps jolted Petersburg PORTA/A-C Central’s miraculous comeback.
The No. 4-seeded Bluejays rallied from a 16-10 deficit in the final set en route to a 25-15, 16-25, 25-20 victory over No. 5 host Athens in a Class 2A regional semifinal on Tuesday.
PORTA (24-11-1) advances to the regional final against top-seeded Pleasant Plains on 6 p.m. Thursday. The Cardinals (32-4) dispatched No. 6 Sacred Heart-Griffin 25-16, 25-16 in the other regional semifinal.
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“I was bawling set two, like two points in, because I just didn't want this to be my last game,” Marr said. “We've come back from bigger deficits, but this game meant a lot to us since it was Athens and 'Blacktop Bragging Rights' and all that, but it was just a lot of emotion. I think the adrenaline is what really kicked into overdrive for us.”
Family connection
Volleyball certainly has a special place in Marr’s heart.
She has played with several of her fellow teammates since grade school. That includes junior outside hitter and cousin, Jayce Privia.
Marr delivered 22 assists while Privia totaled 13 digs and 10 kills in Tuesday’s win.
“That connection we've had for that long, it's kind of just built, built and built, and I know that she's always my sure thing,” Marr said of Privia. “I can give it to her and I know that ball's going to get over the net.”
Marr played under Privia’s mother, Cathy, before high school. Cathy not only instilled the fundamentals of the game but also shifted Marr from Libero to setter in fifth grade.
“She thought that I could get to the balls that I needed to get to and it just stuck,” Marr said. “I take pride in being a setter. I like touching the ball every single play, it's awesome.”
Marr now plays under her dad, Josh. They sometimes butt heads on and off the court, but it stems from the same place.
“Sometimes she looks at me and yells at me on the floor to get my attention,” Josh said. “But she's the team captain and team leader, so pretty much I let her have the ability to change things up in the middle of a game if we need to.”
Privia said Marr always gets people where they need to be.
“She's just a great setter and a great asset to the team,” Privia said.
‘My best friends’
Marr, Privia, senior libero Addie Gallina and sophomore middle hitter Carson Arthalony all hail from A-C Central.
Marr finished the regular season with 673 assists, 182 digs, 56 kills and 45 aces. Privia garnered 278 digs and 150 kills. Gallina posted 263 digs while Arthalony contributed 163 kills and 102 blocks.
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That doesn’t include teammates Abby Bell and Karlie Hoke.
Bell, the senior outside hitter, is committed to Lincoln Land Community College. She powered the Bluejays with 187 kills, 165 digs, 48 aces and 42 digs going into the playoffs.
Hoke helped galvanize the third set with a couple of key blocks down the stretch and chipped in four kills and four blocks against Athens. She entered the contest with 125 kills and 45 blocks.
“I'd say they're pretty much my best friends — every single one of them,” Marr said. “We have a big connection outside of sports. Everybody basically plays basketball, too. The love we have for each other, it's big.”
Privia said the team may be streaky at times but always bounces back. PORTA finished the third set on a 15-4 run.
Senior standout Becky Barrett, who is committed to Purdue Fort Wayne, paced Athens (23-12) with 23 assists, three kills and two aces.
“Just the energy was crazy,” Privia said. “We were down by a lot at the beginning (of the third set) and just the energy brought us up. It kept us up and maybe got them down a little bit because the energy was just crazy. I'm still kind of on a high.”
Survive and advance
PORTA next faces last year’s 2A state runner-up.
Senior outside hitter Peyton Bergschneider tallied a game-high seven kills for the Cardinals. Hitters Sienna Hadley and Sydney McAfee followed with six and five kills, respectively. Senior setter Jaycee Smith had 13 assists.
SHG senior middle hitter Rori Hanken, who is committed to Eastern Tennessee State University, exited with three kills and two blocks in the loss. The Cyclones ended 19-17 overall.
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Privia acknowledged they might be underdogs against Plains but added they can compete if they perform as they did toward the end against Athens.
“They put in work this week and they refused to lose,” Josh said. “They started talking and communicating like I know they could and they did a good job coming back fighting.”
Contact Bill Welt: (217) 788-1545, bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA volleyball: Petersburg PORTA refuses to lose for senior setter
