Resilience is one word that can describe Freedom’s volleyball team this spring. The Pates come into this week with an 8-4 record, splitting their last four matches.

Despite falling to Nazareth and Liberty recently, Freedom also picked up sweeps against Allen and Pocono Mountain East, leaving them right in the heart of the EPC playoff race along with Emmaus, Parkland, Whitehall, Nazareth and Liberty.

“The season is going very well,” said head coach John Yanek. “We stayed on our path to our goals. We know that we can beat those top teams if we have our regular lineup.”

Freedom will get to prove that point as they close out the season with the toughest schedule in the conference. The Pates take on Nazareth and Northampton this week, as the Blue Eagles (11-2) have been one of the best teams this season, along with a scrappy K-Kid team that is 8-5 and fighting for one of those EPC berths as well.

Next week they face an undefeated Emmaus (12-0) team and finish with Liberty (8-3).

Being able to finish strong is a priority for the group, but Yanek is just happy that his team in the position they’ve earned.

“We are still in sight of our goals and some of these losses were just a minor setback,” he said. “The resilience has been surprising and the upperclassmen have stepped up.”