Last night she played a pivotal role as the World 7 netball team outmuscled the Silver Ferns in Wellington, winning the first of three tests 48-44 with a gritty, no-frills effort.
Scholz, a former Australian representative with 54 caps to her name, combined with compatriot Natasha Chokljat and Samoan centre Frances Solia to keep an experienced Silver Ferns midcourt stilted and subdued for almost the entire four quarters.
That pressure, combined with some uncompromising circle defence from English internationals Sonia Mkoloma and Geva Mentor, proved too much for a Silver Ferns team which struggled all night to find any semblance of rhythm.
Despite the fact that she retired from international duties five years ago, and last played in Australia's Commonwealth Bank Trophy in 2007, the 33-year-old Scholz had little difficulty disrupting and consistently slowing the New Zealand attack.
A low-key Scholz afterwards laughed off suggestions that it looked like she'd never been away from top level netball.
"It took me maybe a quarter to get into the game -- I was really quite surprised at how fast they were," she said.
"I knew they'd be fast and dynamic, but to experience that first up, after not having played for such a long time... it kind of got me on the back foot a bit."
Not for long enough, as New Zealand's best battled to match a semi-retired former Australian not really that keen on even contemplating a return to the top level.
"I change my mind every day -- sometimes I think it would be nice play in the ANZ championships. But I have family, and I work. It's a massive commitment and I'm not sure if I'm ready to do that."
As World 7 coach Julie Fitzgerald pointed out, Scholz's return to top level netball was both swift and seamless: "It took her five minutes of the first training session to find her feet.
"The fact that Peta's had, what -- four years? -- off elite netball and can come back and play that well against the Silver Ferns -- I was very excited to see that."
As, no doubt, would have been current Australian coach Norma Plummer, an interested observer in the stands gathering intelligence ahead of the Silver Ferns' five matches against the world champions next month.
