ADAMS TWP — A crisp kill or a clean block?

Both will do just fine for Mars senior middle hitter Brooke Finney.

"That's a hard one," says Finney, who is adept at being a disruptive force at the net. "A block is always satisfying because it's so hard to get."

But — there's always a but.

"But," Finney says, "it sure is nice putting a ball down that can't be returned."

The 5-foot-10 Finney has been doing a lot of both for the Mars volleyball team, which is 8-2 in the tough WPIAL Section 2-AA.

She leads the Planets in blocks with 55 and is second with 79 kills. Over the past three weeks, she leads the team in both categories.

Finney missed a five-game match earlier in the season to attend her sister's wedding.

"She is a calming presence on the team with her constant good play," said Mars coach Dan Mountain. "The younger girls who play alongside her know that they can count on her."

Last season, Finney was surrounded by upperclassmen and yielded to their leadership.

This year, Finney is one of only two seniors. Suddenly, she had to lead.

"It's definitely been a big adjustment," Finney said. "I had to talk more out on the court, help the other people out with positioning and keep everyone motivated."

Once she finally adjusted to her new role, Finney let her play do most of the talking.

"Brooke ... has really embraced the role of being one of the leaders, as well as being one of the most dependable players on the team," Mountain said.

This season hasn't gone perfectly for Finney or the Planets, who set the preseason goal of win the section title.

A loss to undefeated Ambridge and a five-game marathon loss to rival Knoch last week dashed those hopes.

"We lost our first section match in the four years I've played," Finney said. "That was rough."

But Finney and her teammates have turned their sights toward something greater: success in the playoffs.

Last year, the Planets reached the WPIAL semifinals and the PIAA quarterfinals.

Finney said she would like nothing more than to eclipse both of those accomplishments.

"We've had to kind of bring things together again," Finney said. "That was kind of challenging. ... But we're looking now to make it far in the playoffs."

Finney is used to getting up after falling.

She's an avid snowboarder, after all.

In fact, when forced to choose a favorite between volleyball and snowboarding, after a long pause, Finney chose snowboarding.

"It's something I can do for the rest of my life," Finney said. "I love it. I've had some pretty rough falls. It has definitely helped me. If you fall, you just have to keep getting up."