How Mars girls volleyball stunned previously unbeaten Freeport: ‘It means something’
-
Mars celebrates after defeating Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Mars defeated Freeport 3-0. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Freeport’s Peyton Cene returns a spike from Mars during a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Mars defeated Freeport 3-0. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Ella Nicotra spikes the ball for Mars in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Mars defeated Freeport 3-0. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars defeated Freeport 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at Mars High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
ADAMS TWP — The result of a game in late September is not going to make or break a high school volleyball team’s season.
It can, however, be an indicator of how far a program has come and be a springboard to any success the team meets with moving forward.
Mars coach Tami Caraway is hoping that is the case after her team’s sweep of previously unbeaten Freeport in the Planets’ gym Tuesday night.
Mars dominated early on before capping a 25-18, 25-16, 27-25 victory. The Yellowjackets entered the night as the WPIAL’s lone undefeated team in Class 3A.
“Freeport has won at least a share of a section championship for 19 straight seasons,” she said. “So when you beat them, it means something. They have a great program and are used to playing deep into the playoffs.
“But we still have a lot of work to do.”
The Planets went about their business with striking efficiency in the first set, opening up a 16-6 lead. Lily Javor dropped five kills to help Mars gain the upper hand, but Cecilia Christy, Rylee Wooldridge and Gabi Weidemann also helped keep momentum on the side of the hosts with their right arm.
Freeport (6-1, 4-1) did not tally consecutive points until six straight pulled it to within 17-13, but Mars’ hitters took over from there.
The ‘Jackets were playing without sophomore middle hitter Jayme Radvan, who spent the game sitting on Freeport’s bench with her left foot in a walking boot.
“She came down awkwardly in practice (Monday),” Freeport coach Tom Phillips said. “We don’t expect her to be out long, but she’s our No. 1 middle, and with her out of the lineup we had to change a lot of things around.
“At one point, we had three freshmen out there. When you are down one of your top players, it makes everybody else think that they have to do more and it affected our confidence tonight, especially in those first two sets.”
The Planets (7-3, 5-0) continued to roll in the second set and appeared headed for little trouble in the third when senior outside hitter Alaina Whitlinger led a Freeport rally that turned a 15-10 deficit into a 20-17 lead.
Christy’s block returned the serve to Mars and another block by her ended the match minutes later. In between, Kate Southwell and Wooldridge both had clutch kills.
Whitlinger paced Freeport with 11 kills.
Weidemann dished out 34 assists in the win. Javor totaled 14 kills, Wooldridge 12 and Christy seven.
“We did really well with the serve tonight, and that can take teams out of their system,” Caraway said. “We have four very strong hitters, and when you can attack a team from all over the court like that, it can cause chaos.”
Mars has qualified for the WPIAL playoffs the last eight seasons, but has failed to get past the quarterfinal round each time. The Planets are striving to end that streak this year.
“The way we spread the ball around, it makes us more fluid offensively,” Javor said. “I think we proved tonight we are a different team this year.”
