Mars Girls Volleyball Sweeps Indiana, Advances to Face Shaler

Tami Caraway wants to push back the end of the season for as long as possible. Her Mars girls volleyball team made sure to adhere to her wishes Monday night.

In a WPIAL Class 5A play-in match, the No. 14 Planets swept No. 19 Indiana by scores of 25-16, 25-22 and 25-23 to advance to the first round.

Mars will visit No. 3 Shaler at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Natalie Janusz and Alyssa Genis each recorded seven kills for the Planets, while Kate Southwell and Reese Connelly added six apiece. Junior setter Gabi Weidemann distributed 25 assists and contributed five aces and six digs. Classmate Alyna Day, a serving specialist, had four aces, including match point.

Sabrina Ruiz Gonzalez contributed 12 digs for Mars, while Southwell added 11. Janusz finished with nine digs and two blocks.

Caraway said the balanced offensive effort will benefit the Planets as they move forward.

“If you have one person that they can commit block on, it makes it so hard for that one attacker,” she said. “But when you can open it up and have kids all along the net getting kills, it helps out enormously.”

Caraway described Indiana as a scrappy team that kept the Planets working throughout the match.

“They got a lot of balls up, made us work really hard for points. They competed until the very last ball dropped on their side,” she said. “For us, I think it was a combination of being diligent, digging the ball up and sending it back over, and serving tough.”

Mars did not practice Sunday because Caraway wanted to allow one of her players to attend a previously scheduled college visit.

“It took us a minute to get ourselves together the way we wanted to,” Caraway said. “I think every time we step in the gym, we’re looking for ways that we can be better, and we’re hoping not just the team, but individuals find ways to be better at what they do.”