BUFFALO TWP — Having lost to Freeport three consecutive years in the WPIAL playoffs, the idea of moving into the same section this year may not have seemed like a good idea for Mars.

And, after dropping the first set to the Yellowjackets on Tuesday, Planets coach Dan Mountain wasn't the least bit concerned.

Neither was his team.

Mars shook off the set — which featured 11 ties — and went toe-to-toe with Freeport, coming away with an impressive 25-27, 25-21, 25-21, 25-15 victory.

“I think being in the lead in the first game helped,” Mountain said. “We didn't get upset, we didn't get distracted. It's confidence. We came in with the confidence to do this.”

“They gave us a royal (butt)-kicking,” Freeport coach Tom Phillips said. “I can promise you we'll get better and that's all I want to say.”

Mars (4-1, 4-0 in Section 4-AA) may have gotten that from its only loss of the season, a recent 3-2 defeat to Class AAA power Seneca Valley.

“Freeport is just as good as Seneca Valley. A lot of Class AA teams are as good as Class AAA for the most part,” Mountain said. “They cover up the floor so well and you have to figure it out. You're not going to get a point every time, but you can't get upset.”

“You have to be confident to go out and get the next point,” Mountain added.

It was the Yellowjackets who persevered in the first game, which was tied at 6-all before Mars rallied for the next four points on a kill and three Freeport errors.

With Mars holding an 11-8 lead, the teams alternated points until the Yellowjackets (3-1) used three consecutive points — the latter two on aces by Brittany Bianco — to tie the game at 17.

The game was tied five more times, the last at 25-all before Ashley Sample and Lauren Frazetta closed it out with back-to-back kills.

In the second game, with the score tied at 13, the Planets asserted themselves, using a Freeport error, a Morgan Verplank kill and an ace to take a three-point lead.

A Freeport kill by Frazetta stopped that string, but a 4-0 run helped to open up a 20-14 lead en route to the match-tying game.

With Game 3 tied at 9-all, Freeport took the next four points, including three kills by Zoe Pawlak. Mars, however, tallied the next four to tie the game.

After the teams exchanged points, Mars used a 7-2 run to take a 21-15 lead, but Freeport scored six of the next seven — punctuated by a Sample kill — to make it a 22-21 Mars advantage.

A pair of Freeport hitting errors, plus an ace by Abby Matusik, gave Mars the 2-1 lead.

Trying to close the match out, Mars and Freeport were tied at 4 in the fourth game before Emily King had three kills over the next four contested points to kick-start a 15-4 run that allowed the Planets to take a 19-8 lead to pull away.

“It was us attacking them,” Mountain said. “We served well, blocked them more than they were used to and the girls were killing with their shots.

“They'll be ready for us in a month. We'll have to get ready for them and adjust, as well.”

King had 10 kills, 29 assists and seven blocks, Matusik 10 kills and seven blocks, Jaden Zimmer 10 kills, Mel Dinderman 12 digs and Katherine Moraca six aces, all for the Planets.

Freeport received 11 kills from Sample, seven kills from Alexis Schrecengost, 14 service points from Megan Sweeny and 10 points and two aces from Frazetta.

Mountain understands the Yellowjackets will be looking forward to a rematch the next time through the schedule. That's the beauty of playing in a tougher section now.

Not that he's complaining.

“I'm excited to play these section matches to challenge us in September,” Mountain said, “so that we can battle in October.”