Preparation is key this time of year and Liberty’s volleyball team might be getting the best reps they could ask for before districts with this week’s East Penn Conference tournament.

The Hurricanes took down Bethlehem Catholic in four games during the first round of their EPC opener, setting the stage for Tuesday’s semifinal against top-ranked Parkland.

But the win over the Hawks might be a catalyst for the team, as they move ahead this postseason, no matter what happened against Parkland [which was past Press deadlines].

“The win against Becahi was huge for us,” said head coach Connor Swigart. “We had a poor first set and Beca could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted to. We started down 11-3 in the second. We had a timeout and talked about taking it one point at a time and we played like that the rest of the match. We had to go to 31-29 in the second and 30-28 in the third. It was a highly emotional game and to be able to see our team get knocked down and keep getting back up was really amazing to see. We have some great senior leadership and they wouldn’t let us quit.”

Liberty (12-5) split their season series with the Hawks, but to top them again in the EPC tournament was a sign of confidence for Swigart.

Now, his team has to tame Parkland (17-0), who have only dropped one set to their opponents this season.

“Parkland is a great program,” said Swigart. “Each year they have a team that is contending and winning championships. The biggest challenge is being able to play consistently good ball and be able to adapt to what they are doing. They are very disciplined, each player does their job very well and very well a lot of the time. Teams like that will take away your Plan A and Plan B so seeing how we adapt and respond to those situations will be a huge thing to watch. We are excited for the opportunity to play one of the best teams in the state and see where we stack up.”

Freedom (18-1) was also in Tuesday’s semifinal round, as the Pates swept Nazareth in first round of the EPC tournament to set up a match with Emmaus (16-2). It would be the first time both teams faced each other this year, as the final four of the conference tournament features three of the top 10 teams in the state.

“The EPC is one of, if not, the toughest leagues from top to bottom and being able to play in this tournament can only make you better,” said Swigart. “We played Beca, Parkland on Tuesday and in the other semifinal you have Freedom and Emmaus. All 4 of those teams are ranked in the top 10 in the state. No other league can say that, so knowing you have to come into each game and play your best is a challenge. Those types of challenges get us ready for district play when you can’t have a bad day or you’re done for the year, and no one on our team is ready to be done yet.”