Trio has electric night serving, blasting 14 aces in Freeport girls volleyball’s win vs Knoch
JEFFERSON TWP — Freeport’s girls volleyball team had a few aces up its sleeve Tuesday night.
The Yellowjackets had plenty, actually.
“That’s what won us the match,” Freeport coach Tom Phillips said of his team’s 3-0 season-opening victory at Knoch. “Our hitting wasn’t the best tonight, and Knoch did a great job blocking and playing defense.
“We had a lot of unforced errors, a lot of things to clean up.”
The match score was 25-14, 25-22, 25-23.
The Yellowjackets’ Emily Boylan, Nina Pagano and Macy Stivenson combined for 14 aces. Boylan had 10 aces to go with her team-leading 10 kills. Pagano and Stivenson had four aces each. Jayme Radvan contributed five kills.
When Boylan took over the serve in the first set, her team held an 18-12 lead. After a Lauren Hellgren kill, Boylan came up with three successive aces to open up a 22-12 lead.
“I just take a deep breath before I serve and try to hit my spot,” Boylan said. “There’s always a certain target on the floor I’m aiming for.”
An ace by Knoch freshman Riley Smith and a mishit by Freeport gave the Knights a 19-18 edge in the second set. This time, a run of three aces by Pagano put the Yellowjackets ahead 24-19. Evie Tola’s kill ended the second set for the visitors after a brief Knoch flurry.
Freeport built a 20-16 lead in the third set before the Knights rallied to tie it at 20 on successive aces by Maelan Bajuszik. But Boylan secured Freeport’s final four points of the match, including consecutive kills after Knoch tied the score at 23.
“We have three good hitters who we rotate around the floor,” Boylan said. “We work well together. Our goal is to win the section and the WPIAL, do well at states. We’ll get better as we go.”
PIAA girls volleyball moved from four classifications to six this year. Freeport is playing in 3A, Knoch in 4A.
Bajuszik led Knoch with seven kills and 42 assists.
“We competed well tonight against a very good team,” Knoch coach Diane Geist said. “Freeport has a lot of firepower, they play good defense and they work together well on offense.
“The last two sets could have gone either way. We didn’t finish tonight. We had too many unforced errors. By playing an opponent like that, we learn what we need to work on.”
Geist is in her 41st year at Knoch and is the WPIAL leader in successive years with one team. Phillips is in his 26th year at Freeport.
Together, they’ve combined for more than 900 victories.
“Absolutely, this is a great way to open the season,” Phillips said. “We’re neighborhood rivals, two great programs. We all know each other, and there’s a lot of energy in the stands.
“This match is always competitive and so much fun.”
Geist agreed.
“Backyard match, for sure,” she said. “Their setter lives right down the street from me.”
Both teams return to action Thursday. Freeport hosts Kiski Area, and Knoch travels to Plum in non-section play.
