Colette Scheffers’ late heroics lift Marian Catholic over T.F. South

Marian Catholic junior Colette Scheffers is an adrenalin rush person. It definitely translates to the volleyball court.

While most of the players were dragging a bit during crunch time in the sweltering Marian gym on Wednesday, Scheffers was swinging hard and dancing sharp.

“She has a signature dance,” teammate Madeline Huekels said with a smile after the Spartans’ 24-26, 25-18, 25-16 victory over T.F. South.

Scheffers totaled six kills and seven digs, but saved her best for last. She put down four of the kills during a third game in which Marian erased an early deficit and eventually ran away.

“I’m very pumped up and competitive,” Scheffers said. “I’m very energetic once I get going.”

Dana Zavesky added seven kills and seven digs, Ashley Sledge and Allyson Brooks seven blocks each, Lauren Ringo and Allison Militsky seven digs each and Huekels 16 assists for Marian (3-4).

T.F. South (0-2) was paced by Crystal Lee (7 kills), Briana Lilly (6 kills), Molly Zupan (7 digs) and Jenna Pasko (4 kills, 7 assists).

The Spartans rebounded from a weekend at Plainfield North where they were 2-3 and finished 12^th.

Or maybe it wasn’t a rebound, but an extension of a building confidence.

“It wasn’t as much our mistakes as we played well and we lost (at Plainfield North),” Huekels maintained. “We built this momentum going into (Wednesday) and we had that excitement knowing how well we could play, since we played so well on Saturday.”

They were playing very well in Game 1 against South until a late collapse triggered by a service error while up 23-18.

The Rebels responded after a spectacular defensive play by Zupan Lily put down a kill. Zupan then served for an ace and the comeback was on, Pasko adding a kill and serving for the final three points and the victory.

South got off to a 3-0 start in Game 2, but would come undone by a series of unforced errors that let Marian build a comfortable lead and then trade points. Debra Miller played big down the stretch in Game 2 with two kills and a block.

The third game saw the Rebels go in front 8-5, before Marian roared back with two aces each by Zavesky and Huekels and three kills by Scheffers keyed a 13-2 sequence that took away any potential drama.

The Rebels, playing in only their second match of the season and the first in more than a week, appeared to go from being rusty, to hitting their groove, to hitting the wall stamina-wise.

“I got really tired. It was really hot in this gym,” Pasko said. “Other people picked up their game and kept us afloat, but yeah, we kind of just burned out.”