Freeport, Hampton meet for third time, this time with WPIAL title on the line

By: Michael Love
Thursday, November 4, 2021 | 8:38 PM

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The first two matchups between the Freeport and Hampton girls volleyball teams were five-game slugfests that decided the Section 5 championship.

The Talbots won the first match at home, but the Yellowjackets returned the favor at Freeport Middle School a couple of weeks later.

The teams ended up sharing the section title with 11-1 records.

Freeport and Hampton meet for a third time Saturday with a whole lot more on the line. They will do battle to decide the WPIAL Class AAA championship at 5:30 p.m. at Robert Morris’ UPMC Events Center.

“Hampton is a very strong team. That’s no secret,” Freeport coach Tom Phillips said. “They are very senior-laden all over the court and are very experienced. If you look at them play, they don’t make a lot of mistakes. They have one of the better players in all of the WPIAL in (sophomore hitter) Emmy Schrom. She is just a real dynamic player, and you just have to put yourself in position to slower her down.”

Speaking of five-game matches, that is what Freeport and Hampton went through Tuesday at Gateway to reach the WPIAL finals.

The top-seeded Yellowjackets lost the first game with No. 5 Armstrong before taking the next two and then outlasting the River Hawks, 17-15, in the fifth game to advance. It was Freeport’s third win over Armstrong this season, including a section sweep, 3-0 and 3-1.

“We had to fight to get to (the WPIAL title game),” junior Ava Soilis said. “Armstrong gave us such a good game, just as we expected they would. We’re so excited to be where we are and have the opportunity to beat Hampton again.”

The No. 3 Talbots dropped a pair of 26-24 decisions against No. 7 Plum to fall behind 2-0 before rallying. They finished off the win with a 16-14 fifth game.

“It’s going to take a great effort from both teams,” Phillips said. “We need to bring our best game and step up to the challenge. Everybody has hitting weapons and those who can block, but a big key is winning the serve-pass battle. If you can keep the ball off the floor and run your offense, that’s what you have to do.”

Along with going after a WPIAL championship, Hampton and Freeport have clinched berths in the PIAA tournament. All four Class AAA semifinalists will take part in the state playoffs, set to begin Tuesday.

“There is such a quick turnaround from Saturday to get ready for the state playoffs,” Phillips said. “You have one day to find out who you’re going to play, and then you are playing somebody from a different district. You can’t get too high or too low, one way or another, after the WPIAL title match because you have to be ready to go again.”

A large fan contingent, including a boisterous student section, was on hand at Gateway on Tuesday to support the Yellowjackets players as they took on Armstrong.

“We just love that support (from students and other athletes),” Soilis said. “We also love to support them in their sports. It really motivates us to do better. We know they’re behind us. We know our parents are behind us, and everyone wants us to do well.”

Phillips said he hopes to see a large crowd again follow the team, this time to Robert Morris as Freeport goes after its second WPIAL title in three years, its first in Class AAA, and its sixth since 2010.

“We see the (championship) banners each time we come into practice, and we want to carry on that tradition,” said sophomore middle Josie Russo, who missed the first Hampton match because of injury. “It makes all of us work and prepare harder and reach those goals we want to accomplish.”

Phillips again praised his deep and youthful team with only two seniors on the roster.

Only one of those seniors — outside hitter and Section 5 first-team all-star Erica Lampus — is active right now. Fellow senior Sam Wuyscik has missed several weeks with an injury and remains out of the lineup.

Phillips pointed to the leadership of Lampus and juniors Cassidy Dell (setter) and Ava Soilis (libero); the impact of junior outside hitter Natalie Volek and junior defensive specialist Kayla Carnahan, the key returns from injury of Russo and junior hitter Amber Shirey; as well as the play of sophomores Sydney Selker (outside hitter), Autumn English (middle) and Grace Beach (setter); and freshmen Leah Schrecengost (hitter) and Alaina Whitlinger (hitter).

“Win, lose or draw, it always takes a great effort to get to (the WPIAL championship match),” Phillips said. “The girls understand that, and they have worked so hard to get themselves ready.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Freeport