Freeport girls sweep past Avonworth into WPIAL Class 2A volleyball title game

By: Jerin Steele
Tuesday, October 31, 2023 | 10:09 PM

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Purchase Photo Options

Previous Next

There weren’t any tricks needed for the Freeport girls volleyball team on this Halloween night.

The top-seeded Yellowjackets used the same sound dominance they’ve had all year and for over a decade as a program.

Their treat?

Another trip to a WPIAL championship after a 3-0 sweep of No. 5 Avonworth in the Class 2A semifinals Tuesday night at North Allegheny.

The Yellowjackets used a balanced attack to win 25-16, 25-15, 25-20.

Josie Russo had 10 kills, Alaina Whitlinger added nine kills and Sydney Selker finished with eight kills.

“We’re a tough matchup sometimes because of the balance and how we come at you,” Freeport coach Tom Phillips said. “I thought our blocking was exceptional. That’s something we’ve been working a lot on.”

The two-time defending Yellowjackets (20-1) will play second-seeded Beaver (19-0) in the 2A final at 1 p.m. Saturday at Peters Township’s AHN Arena. The Yellowjackets will vie for their eighth title since 2013.

Avonworth (14-7) will continue its season in the state tournament.

The first set was tightly contested until Freeport used its balanced attack in an 8-0 run to pull away.

Russo started the run with a kill and also had an ace from the service line. Selker had a pair of kills in the final four points, including one to finish off the set.

“Having so many weapons, I think it makes it hard for our opponents to know who we are going to,” Russo said. ‘That makes us very versatile, because we don’t go to the same person all the time. We can go to the middle, the outside or even implement our back-row attacks, which is really good in a situation where our passing might not be the best. Grace (Beach) can pop it up to either Alaina (Whitlinger) or Leah (Schreckengost).”

The second set followed a similar trajectory.

Freeport led 14-12 before going on an 11-3 run to close out a 25-15 win.

Whitlinger had five kills and a couple of blocks to lead the way. Selker and Russo had a pair of kills. Autumn English added a kill and a couple of key blocks when the set was close.

Setter Grace Beach was instrumental with solid passing. She said she is thankful to have so many options.

“It’s very nice, because obviously in volleyball not everything is going to be in system,” Beach said. “We have two really strong middles, but when I don’t have the middle I have two really strong outsides, and if I don’t have the outside, I have really good back-row attacks from our outside hitters. You can be really strategic when it comes to offense, and I think that is really to our benefit.”

Avonworth led 14-13 in the third set, but Russo tied the score with a kill, sparking a 12-7 run that closed out the match. Russo had three kills in the run, and Beach, Selker, Whitlinger and Schreckengost all had one each.

Nora Gavin led the Antelopes with 10 kills.

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer

Tags: Avonworth, Freeport