Freeport, led by Emily Boylan’s 19 kills, cruises past Franklin in PIAA girls volleyball first round
BUFFALO TWP — The next stage of Freeport’s season started the way the others went before it.
The Yellowjackets won (again) with little trouble to start the PIAA Class 3A Girls Volleyball Tournament, disposing of District 10 runner-up Franklin 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-11) in the first round Tuesday night at Freeport Middle School.
It was, as it’s been 21 other times this season for the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association No. 2 team in the state, business as usual.
“Our record’s 0-0 (coming into tonight) and we have four more games to play,” Yellowjackets junior setter Caylee Zembrzuski said.
Next up for the WPIAL champions in Saturday’s quarterfinals at a site and time to be determined is WPIAL third-seed Waynesburg Central (20-1), a 3-1 winner over District 5 champ Chestnut Ridge.
Freeport (22-0) head coach Tom Phillips, Zembrzuski and junior outside hitter Emily Boylan all said the team wasn’t quite as sharp as it expects from itself, especially early, but Boylan made up for it with a huge night at the net.
Despite facing a fierce left-side block led by Knights junior Sophie Boal, Boylan knocked down 19 kills primarily from her strong side. Zembrzuski mixed her into some shots from the right side and back row, too, but Boylan’s production primarily came from attacking the left.
It led to an entertaining battle within the game, with Boylan going on runs where she could break the block only for Boal and her linemates to counter and time Boylan up well with a few big stops to keep things close.
“We were really trying to find spots,” Boylan said, adding she and her setter utilized a 3-ball set to try to pull Franklin’s block farther out. “I tried to tip over the block to find those spots.”
But the game seemed to shift just a little when Boylan, having been rejected a few times in a row in the middle of the second set, faked another hard spike only to pull up last second and roll the ball over the block and in front of Franklin’s back row. From that point on, the Knights’ defense was seemingly put off balance.
“(I know she’s smart enough) to kind of find the spots, the donut, the deep line when she’s tipping, and then the roll shots to get them confused,” Zembrzuski said. “And then when I get her working again she can really swing either line or deep cross.
“(That roll shot) made (Franklin) more indecisive, and that way I could run her more and confuse them by setting my other options to the right, as well.“
Boylan was not the only ’Jacket to make plays. The team’s other top outside threat, Evie Tola, had 10 kills, including five big ones in the first set, which was the most competitive of the night. Middle hitter Lauren Hellgren had two big blocks, and Freeport got senior middle Jayme Radvan back from injury for a few rotations primarily in the third set. One of two seniors, Radvan finished her night with an efficient five kills and a block.
“That was very big,” Boylan said. “Getting to have both of our seniors on the floor for the final point.”
The Yellowjackets also once again won the serve-receive game. The Knights produced just four aces, while Freeport had nine.
