Business as usual
BUFFALO TWP — The rust was there. So was a familiar result for Freeport’s girls volleyball team.
The Yellowjackets, the defending WPIAL Class AA champions, faced South Park in Thursday’s first-round playoff at Freeport Middle School.
Freeport did not have its ‘A’ game for much of the match, but still found a way to sweep the Eagles 25-20, 25-17 and 25-17.
“The key when it comes to the playoffs is to not look past any team and we did not look past South Park tonight,” said Freeport coach Tom Phillips. “I think the long wait tonight (second game of a doubleheader) was a factor in the way we played. Our game was scheduled for 7:30 and it’s 20 minutes after 8 and we’re still waiting to play. We had a really good practice (Wednesday), but there were definitely some nerves on our end tonight.”
The first game was South Park’s best chance to stagger the ‘Jackets. The score was knotted at 10 before Freeport earned some breathing room. A kill from South Park’s Danielle Bywalski helped pull the Eagles to within 21-19, but the team would get no closer. Freeport’s Jenna Manke dropped a kill of her own to break South Park’s momentum.
“South Park showed up tonight,” said Freeport senior Maddie Christy. “We knew they had good outside hitters, but we don’t worry too much about what other teams have. We just go out and do our job.”
Bywalski was clearly South Park’s best player. She totaled a game-high 13 kills, including seven in a second game otherwise dominated by the ‘Jackets (15-3).
“She’s really good,” Phillips said of Bywalski. “Against a player like that, you have to slow it (the ball) down at the net. At first, we weren’t doing that. We were just sitting back and looking to play defense. We ended up making some adjustments, moving things around a bit and started getting some touches at the net.”
The ‘Jackets hit their stride in the third game, with seven different players tallying at least one kill. Christy led that group with four kills.
“This was my last home game,” said Christy, a senior. “I wanted to leave my mark.”
Freeport senior middle hitter Kristie Radvan tallied 15 service points, 10 kills and six blocks.
South Park’s season ends with a record of 13-7.
“We were prepared to face a team as good as Freeport tonight,” said Eagles’ coach Brooke Muraco, “but we didn’t follow through with that preparation.”
Freeport will next face Seton-La Salle in the district quarterfinals Tuesday at a time and site to be determined.
“We’ll play a better game against Seton, I guarantee it,” said Phillips. “If there’s one thing we need to improve on, it’s passing.”
