To understand how versatile of a player Dulaney High outside hitter Marah Schmitz is, one only needed to watch her play for a few minutes Monday night at Severna Park.
It seemed whatever the Lions needed from her, she provided. Whether it was a kill, dig, pass or an ace with her thunderous jump serve, Schmitz chipped in whenever she was called upon. And while Dulaney eventually lost in a thrilling five-game match, the Lions know that with Schmitz and a host of other talented, younger players, they have a shot to win the Baltimore County school?s first state title since 2000. Through Tuesday, the Lions were 4-1 following a sweep of Chesapeake.
Schmitz looks to build upon a junior campaign when she had 185 digs, 68 aces and averaged 2.7 kills per game in helping guide the Lions to an 18-1 record an a berth in the state final. Her love for the sport has grown each year, especially after being called up to the varsity team at the end of her freshman year.
“I had to choose between soccer and volleyball, and I think I definitely made the right choice,” Schmitz said. “Right now, I?m thinking about college a lot, and I know I definitely want to play there.”
In a sport where 6-footers increasingly are becoming the norm, the 5-foot-8 Schmitz knows that her height might be her one disadvantage. However, she turns that into a positive and works that much harder on the court to compensate. The extra effort definitely shows.
“I wasn?t that great with passing or on digs at first, so it has taken a lot of practice,” said Schmitz, who began playing volleyball in the eighth grade. “Being smaller, you have to work that much harder to get that extra edge from people who are taller.”
Dulaney coach Cary Lyon views Schmitz as the ultimate player to teach. He expects to see her playing on some college court this time next year.
“Some kids, when you try to teach them something new, they don?t jump at it right away,” Lyon said. “Marah does everything well, and she wants the ball in crunch time.”
