The second half of the season will be critical for Whitehall to establish themselves in the realm of the Lehigh Valley Conference and District 11 postseason race, but the importance of what's at stake started on Tuesday night with the Zephyrs thrilling victory over Bethlehem Catholic in five games 25-26, 20-25, 25-22, 22-25, 15-11.

Tony Hanna continued his consistent form on the year, providing 45 assists for the Zephyrs, while Logan Helfrich added 18 kills.

The win pushed Whitehall (6-5, 5-4) over the .500 mark and gave them a crucial win heading into Thursday's showdown with Freedom, as the Zephyrs have won three straight since a loss to Emmaus last week.

"This week is so important for us, when it comes into the home stretch of the season," said head coach George Cowitch. "Playing Bethlehem Catholic and Freedom, are two teams that are traditionally tough to beat. "There needs to be a sense of urgency from our guys this week, and they know how important this week is. It's their choice whether they respond or not. As a coaching staff, we believe that they are close to breaking through totally."

The Zephyrs showed a glimpse of what they could be against Emmaus (7-1, 5-1) last week, taking game one 25-20, but losing the next three (15-25, 17-25, 14-25) to flash a moment of potential, followed by bursts of inconsistency.

"We took away the fact we can compete at the highest level in this league, as we should," Cowitch said of the loss to Hornets. "That is our expectation and always will be while I'm the head coach. It's mental right now, we dominate game one and just went away the rest of the match. Good teams don't do that, and that's something that has to do with the lack of experience."

With wins over Dieruff, Wyoming Valley West and Becahi in the rearview, focusing on Thursday's encounter with Freedom (6-3, 4-2), a team that is trying to push themselves into the upper echelon of the LVC, will be a battle in itself. The Zephyrs swept the Patriots in three games on March 25 and Freedom is looking for their own dose of revenge.

"That's a match that we are really looking forward to," said Pates head coach John Yanek. "We need to beat Whitehall."

And Cowitch knows his team needs a win over Freedom to help secure their playoff future.

"As for districts, we look to qualify and better our position on the next three weeks," he said. "I believe once these guys all bring their best to the table, we will be that team that no one wants to see in the playoffs."