Freeport slams Avonworth to clinch long-awaited 8th WPIAL girls volleyball championship | ‘It’s really special’
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Freeport's Lucy Majersky (12) spikes the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Brynleigh Paga (10) strikes the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Caylee Zembrzuski (24) sets the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Caylee Zembrzuski (24) sets the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's student section cheers after a volley in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Lauren Hellgren (14) spikes the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Brynleigh Paga (10) spikes the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's student section cheers after a volley in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport players celebrate after winning the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Brynleigh Paga, left, and Annabelle Pollino, right, hug after the team's victory in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Freeport volleyball team celebrates after winning a set in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Emily Boylan (6) spikes the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Lauren Hellgren (14) tips the ball over the net in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's student section watches as Brynleigh Paga (10) serves the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Evie Tola (1) jumps for a spike in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's girls volleyball team pose for a picture after winning the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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The Freeport volleyball team dogpile on the court after winning the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport volleyball head coach Tom Phillips speaks with the team during a timeout in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Macy Stivenson (2) serves the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Nina Pagano (4) prepares to serve the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Caylee Zembrzuski (24) sets the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Caylee Zembrzuski (24) serves the ball in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Caylee Zembrzuski (24) bumps the ball over the net in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Evie Tola (1) and Lucy Majersky (12) block a shot in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport's Lucy Majersky (12) and Emily Boylan (6) move to block a shot in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport players pose for a picture after winning the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Freeport volleyball head coach Tom Phillips awards medals to the team after their victory in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Volleyball Championship game against Avonworth on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at Peters Township's AHN Arena. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
MCMURRAY — Head coach Tom Phillips has known for a while this Freeport core had a chance to be something special.
Others around him also foretold it before this sophomore class had even played a varsity match in the summer of 2025.
Freeport girls volleyball proved those predictions true Saturday, Nov. 7, at Peters Township’s AHN Arena, beating Avonworth 3-0 (25-21, 25-12, 25-17) for the WPIAL Class 3A championship.
It is the Yellowjackets’ eighth district title — fifth most all-time in the WPIAL — and first since 2022.
“Ever since I started from seventh grade, I’ve been wanting to win this,” senior Macy Stivenson said. “To know that feeling (our banner is gonna) be on the wall, it’s amazing.”
“It’s really special because both of my sisters have won and I wanted to be the third,” added the Yellowjackets’ only other senior, Jayme Radvan, who missed the game with a hip injury.
The top-seeded Yellowjackets (21-0) controlled the entire game, from serve-receive to attack. They produced 12 aces — led by Stivenson’s three and Nina Pagano’s five — to the Antelopes’ three and multiple service errors.
Stivenson and Pagano’s float serves were particularly effective, with Pagano, a junior, manipulating No. 3 Avonworth’s defense forward and back with ease. She had three aces in a four-point stretch during the third set that turned a 16-13 lead into an overwhelming 20-13 advantage.
“I just think Nina’s always had such a tough serve,” Stivenson said. “We’ve known that all season.”
“You noticed how much Nina moved the ball around,” Phillips said. “They’re aggressive with it.”
And when Avonworth (18-4) did get into rotation or forced Freeport to go into its sets, the Yellowjackets’ balance kept the Antelopes off balance all afternoon.
Junior Brynleigh Paga was called up off JV for the injured Radvan and had the game of her season, tied for the ‘Jackets lead with an unofficial nine kills.
“The adrenaline was definitely there,” Paga said. “After the first few points, I was like, ‘I got this.’”
But she was not alone. Junior setter Caylee Zembrzuski, sporting some fittingly gold nails she said have been her “magic touch” and will most certainly stay throughout the rest of the postseason, worked her entire front and back lines effectively for 29 assists. Juniors Emily Boylan and Evie Tola had nine kills apiece, and Boylan blocked two shots.
Meanwhile, Avonworth’s counter was to rely heavily on Rice commit Julia Cernich. While she got hers — 18 unofficial kills after recording 21 in the semifinals — Freeport was able to zero in defensively on the talented attacker. Avonworth had no such luck defensively as Zembrzuski spread the ball around.
“We definitely knew that the ball was gonna go to one place most of the time on their side,” Stivenson said. “And just knowing that we have so many options on our side is definitely an advantage that we had.”
The Yellowjackets and Antelopes are not done yet. Freeport will face District 10 runner-up Franklin, while Avonworth will face that district’s champion, Cathedral Prep, in the first round of the PIAA Class 3A tournament starting Tuesday, Nov. 10. The site and time of those matchups will be announced Sunday.
Stivenson said she knew before this season her team was going to be good. Phillips, the pillar of the program, felt similar and said he’s having so much fun with this team that he’s got at least a few more runs in him to try to add to Freeport’s trophy case. The Yellowjackets, they think, are back.
“I think it just means a change in Freeport volleyball again,” Zembrzuski said.
