Freeport dominates Brookville, 3-0
SHALER TWP — No crazy comeback needed this time.
In both the WPIAL semifinal and final, the Freeport volleyball team had to crawl out of a 2-0 hole to win.
The Cardiac 'Jackets preferred the ease they found against Brookville in the first round of the PIAA 2A playoffs at Shaler High School Tuesday night.
No heart monitors needed.
Freeport trailed just once in the entire match (1-0 in the first set) and cruised to a 25-11, 25-13, 25-17 sweep over the District 9 champion Raiders.
“This one,” said senior Tori Radvan, smiling, “was a little different.”
Freeport dominated at the net and while the Yellowjackets were not necessarily crisp, they asserted themselves throughout.
Radvan, back from a knee injury that cost her junior season in 2018, had nine kills in just two sets. Isabella Russo also had nine kills; Mackensey Jack eight, Lauren Lampus seven and Madeline Clark five.
In contrast, Brookville has just 13 kills as a team in the entire match.
“We played like we know how to,” Radvan said.
Freeport coach Tom Phillips was concerned about how his team would play Tuesday coming off an emotional WPIAL championship win Saturday over North Catholic after falling behind 2-0, as it did in the semifinal last week against Avonworth.
“It's easy to be deflated,” Phillips said. “It really is. Our practice yesterday wasn't real, real crisp, but you kind of expect that.”
That made the first set even more important for Freeport.
The Yellowjackets scored eight consecutive points to take a 22-8 lead and cruised to a 1-0 lead.
Its first 1-0 lead in the last three matches.
“We had to come out strong because if you lose that first set in the state playoffs, you don't know what can happen,” Radvan said.
Freeport (20-0) will take on Beaver — a 3-1 winner over North Star — Saturday at a site and time to be determined in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.
