Could this be the year Freedom’s volleyball team punches their way to the top tier of the district?

The Pates certainly hope so and their 3-0 start to the year has ignited momentum of what the team could be this season.

Head coach Donna Roman has seen the team grind through wins over Bethlehem Catholic and Nazareth, while sweeping Central Catholic in their last encounter.

“I am extremely pleased with the performance of the team so far this season,” said Roman. “We are a combination of experienced and inexperienced players, and I am relying on the experienced girls to lead the way and set the pace. Our senior leadership is key.”

If anything would have given the team a boost, it was the season opening victory over Becahi in five games. Knocking off the defending state champs in five games proved they could battle through a mentally tough match and may have set the tone for the early part of the season.

“Beca is the defending state champs and they are always fierce competition, so that win was very sweet,” said Roman. “Beca was very strong competition with strong hitters and strong defense, so we had to step up our defense and find a way for our hitters to score. It was a true team effort and our aggressive serving was the key in that match.”

With Stroudsburg, Easton and Dieruff on tap this week, the Pates have a chance to stay undefeated, as those three teams are a combined 1-9.

Keeping their foot on the pedal is something Roman hopes the team can keep pushing through this stretch, as she’s learned more and more about the team in each match.

“I learned that the girls have a lot of heart,” she said. “They can work through mistakes and find a way to score. My seniors lead by example with their play and their attitudes. And finally, it is clear that the EPC will once again have a lot of talented teams who are dangerous to play.”

Liberty (2-1) has won two straight since an opening loss to Nazareth. The ‘Canes knocked off Dieruff and Whitehall in back-to-back wins and take on Pleasant Valley and Bethlehem Catholic this week.

The Hawks (1-2) have had some struggles early on this season, losing to Freedom and Emmaus, both in five games. They look to get back on track this week with matches against Pocono Mountain West, Liberty and Nazareth.