Mars earns spot in 2nd WPIAL volleyball final with 5-set win over Freeport
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Wednesday, October 30, 2024 | 9:33 PM
Mars’ Rylee Wooldridge battles Freeport’s Payton Woods (left) and Emily Boylan during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Mars’ Jayme Radvan spikes against Freeport’s Cecilia Christy (left) and Emily Boylan during the WPIAL girls Class 3A volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny.
Mars’ Rylee Wooldridge spikes past Freeport’s Emily Boylan during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Freeport’s Samantha Devlin sets against Mars during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Freeport celebrates a point against Mars during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Freeport’s Leah Schreckengost with a spike past Mars’ Lily Javor during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Freeport’s Alaina Whitlinger defends against Mars’ Cecilia Christy during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Freeport’s Alaina Whitlinger defends on Mars’ Gabi Weidemann during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Freeport’s Alaina Whitlinger spikes against Mars’ Ella Nicotra during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Mars celebrates beating Freeport during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Mars’ Gabi Weidemann with a dig against Freeport during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Mars celebrates a point against Freeport during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Freeport’s Alaina Whitlinger and Payton Woods defend on Mars’ Ella Nicotra during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Mars’ Lily Javor hits against Freeport during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Freeport’s Payton Woods hits against Mars during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Freeport’s Leah Schreckengost with a dig against Mars during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Freeport’s Samantha Devlin with a dig against Mars during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Mars’ Gabi Weidemann blocks the shot of Freeport’s Alaina Whitlinger during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Freeport’s Caylee Zembrzuski with a set against Mars during the WPIAL Class 3A girls volleyball semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny High School.
Before the beginning of the fifth set, the Mars girls volleyball players looked into a packed grandstands and started waving their arms up and down to pump up the crowd.
Then they gave their fans plenty to cheer about.
Lily Javor had five kills, and Cecilia Christy had two in the fifth set as the second-seeded Fightin’ Planets advanced to a WPIAL volleyball championship for the first time in a dozen years with a 3-2 victory over No. 6 Freeport in the Class 3A semifinals Wednesday at North Allegheny.
“In the huddle we said (the fifth) set has our name on it,” Javor said. “It is not theirs. We went into it knowing we were taking this set no matter what. We had really good play up at the net, good blocks and put the ball away efficiently, which fired us up. The bench was yelling. The crowd was into it. To play in that environment was so fun, and I think we used it to our advantage.”
Mars (17-4) will play the winner of Wednesday’s late match between Hampton and Beaver in the championship at 3 p.m. Saturday at Peters Township’s AHN Arena. The Fightin’ Planets’ previous trip to a final was in 2012 when they swept Hopewell. They beat Freeport (12-4) for a third time this season after sweeping the section season series and denied Freeport a third consecutive championship appearance.
The Fightin’ Planets jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the final set and never trailed. Christy had a kill for match point and a 15-11 victory.
“I really can’t describe this feeling,” Christy said. “I’m truly just so excited.”
Mars forced a fifth set by winning a wild fourth 26-24.
Freeport served for match point, but Christy had a kill to tie it at 24-24. A hitting error by Freeport gave Mars the lead, and an Ella Nicotra kill from the back row sealed the win.
“We had them in Game 4, but we just had a couple inexperienced errors,” Freeport coach Tom Phillips said. “That’s what happens when you start freshmen. I’m proud of them. I think they did a great job, but until you get that experience like Mars has, it’s tough. They’re a well-rounded team that can come at you from different angles.”
Mars coach Tamara Caraway was proud of her team’s resiliency while starting at potential elimination.
“This is a group of competitors,” Caraway said. “They love nothing more than to compete. They play 11-11 or 13-13 at practice. We practice those moments, so they’re prepared when they face them.”
Freeport took the first set 25-23. They used a 7-0 run to take a 24-21 lead. Alaina Whitlinger had two kills and an ace, and Leah Schreckengost added a kill during the rally.
Mars got consecutive points to get within one point, but Payton Woods clinched the set for the Yellowjackets with a block.
Mars rebounded to win the second set 25-16 led by Christy, who had six kills and a pair of blocks.
The Yellowjackets gutted out a 25-21 win in the third.
Freeport scored nine of the final 13 points. Consecutive kills by Schreckengost and a net violation by Mars secured the set.
It will be just the second trip to a final for Mars, and it’s a moment that has been a long time coming for Javor and her teammates.
“I’ve been on varsity since my freshman year, and we’ve never got past the quarterfinals,” Javor said. “Making it to semifinals was the first big win and showed us we can go on and play in the finals and play with top teams.
Freeport will play in the consolation match Saturday, with the winner moving on to the state tournament.
“I’m hoping that our young kids get to experience the PIAA tournament,” Phillips said. “We just have to lick our wounds and get ready for Saturday.”
Jerin Steele is a freelance writer
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