Keeping it close to home
JEFFERSON TWP — Freeport girls volleyball coach Tom Phillips has a simple philosophy when it comes to non-section matches — playing formidable opponents helps you improve as a team.
That’s why adding neighboring Knoch to his team’s schedule was an easy choice.
Phillips’ Yellowjackets handed the host Knights their first loss of the season Monday night, 3-1. Knoch, a Class 3A team, entered the night with an 11-0 record.
“We were calling it the ‘Backyard Brawl,’” Phillips said following the match, which Freeport won by scores of 25-12, 25-22, 17-25, 25-17.
“We weren’t playing as strong as we normally do early on,” said Knoch coach Diane Geist. “We really didn’t start playing until the third set.”
Freeport (11-2), a Class AA program, also played a pair of Class 4A schools earlier this season in North Allegheny and Armstrong.
“We lost both of those, in five sets to NA and four sets to Armstrong,” said Phillips. “But all of the games were close. Knoch is a great team that’s loaded with great players. It’s good to play a team like this with the playoffs coming up.”
After an early 4-1 deficit in the first game against the Knights, the ’Jackets hit another gear. They held a 13-8 lead when junior Jenna Manke stepped behind the service line.
A block from Katie Zingaro, a kill from Maddie Christy and an ace by Manke were all included in an 8-0 spurt that gave Freeport complete control of the game. The run finally ended when Knoch’s Sarah Armahizer dropped a kill, but Knoch took the serve on the trailing end of a 21-9 score.
“We came out hard and fast tonight,” said Phillips. “You come up here and you’re going to have to take it because they (Knights) are not going to give you anything.”
The second game was much closer. With Knoch trailing 20-16, Kennedy Christy’s block was followed by an ace from Kerrie Fitzpatrick and a kill from Abby Pospisil to pull the Knights within 20-19.
But a clutch block by Kristie Radvan cut Knoch’s surge and the ’Jackets went on to post the 3-point win.
On the verge of being swept, Knoch’s game came together in the third set. Armahizer tallied three kills while teammates Bethany Nulph, Abby Kopac, Pospisil and Christy each had two as the Knights took the lead mid-way through and grabbed some much-needed momentum.
“Our energy and tempo were up in the third set,” said Armahizer, “but Freeport is an amazing team. They’re well-coached and there’s nothing bad I can say about them.”
Unfortunately for Knoch, the fourth set resembled the first one. A five-point run featuring kills from Manke and Courtney Grubbs gave the ’Jackets a 13-9 lead and Knoch never cut the deficit to less than two the rest of the way.
“We knew we had to finish it off in the fourth,” said Manke. “We didn’t want it to go to a fifth set.”
Maddie Christy paced Freeport with 12 kills, 10 service points and five blocks. Zingaro added six kills and six blocks and Claire Crytzer 21 digs and 20 service points, including four aces.
For Knoch, Armahizer tallied 14 kills, Pospisil nine kills and Kennedy Christy eight blocks.
Both teams hope to wrap up a section title over the next 10 days, a task that begins today. In 5-AA action, Freeport hosts Valley. Knoch travels to New Castle for a Section 4-AAA clash.
Geist is hoping her team takes something away from its first defeat of the season.
“You have to be prepared to play strong teams,” she said. “Once you get to the playoffs, every team is strong.”
