Beaver volleyball pulls off upset of Freeport, wins WPIAL Class 2A championship

PETERS TWP. – As the Beaver girls volleyball team drove to the WPIAL Championships on Saturday morning, it wasn’t the slightest bit nervous about playing a powerhouse.

The Bobcats did not fear Freeport, the reigning WPIAL 2A champs who also won the 3A title in 2021.

The Bobcats wanted respect.

They wanted that gold championship trophy.

They got both.

In a thriller at the AHN Arena at Peters Township High School, Beaver upset Freeport, 3-2.

“It feels amazing,” said Zoe Ringer, Beaver’s junior setter. “I got goosebumps. I got chills. I’m just so excited and so proud of our team.”

“This feels so good,” added Kailyn Connelly, a 6-foot-2 sophomore middle hitter.

Beaver’s win over Freeport denied the Yellowjackets their eighth WPIAL championship in their program’s proud history.

It also gave the Bobcats their second WPIAL title to go along with the one they won in 2017.

“That was a nail biter,” said Beaver coach Susan Pollins. “We went into this wanting to really show people what we were all about.

“We were tired of hearing about Freeport and all their success. We’re Beaver and we want some respect.”

At practice Friday, Pollins brought out WPIAL gold and silver medals she won then she played for Seton LaSalle in 2006 and 2007. The Rebels were Class 1A runners-up in ’06 but won the WPIAL title a year later.

“I said to the girls, ‘Which one do you want?’ ” Pollin said. “Obviously, they said the gold ones.”

Beaver, the No. 2 seed, improved to 20-0 by winning the fifth and final set against top-seeded Freeport (20-2).

But before that riveting 15-13 win in the fifth set, Beaver first experienced highs and lows.

Beaver won the first two sets, 25-22 and 25-19.

But Freeport won the next two in rather convincing fashion, 25-18 and 25-18.

It appeared the Yellowjackets, a veteran team with plenty of big-time playoff experience, had all the momentum it needed to finish off the Bobcats.

But Beaver refused to fold.

Before the teams took the court for the fifth set, Pollins told the Bobcats that “We haven’t lost all year. We know how to play volleyball. We’re the best team when we want to be.”

Beaver then went out and proved they are the WPIAL’s best in 2A.

The Bobcats fell behind early in that fifth set. 2-0, but then took control by securing the next nine points. They led the rest of the way.

Freeport got as close as 14-13, but Beaver got the next point for the win.

“I think we got too excited after winning those first two sets,” said Beaver’s Chloe List, a senior outside hitter. “Maybe we thought that trophy was coming sooner than it did. But in the fifth set, we locked in and played our game.

“It feels surreal right now. It was a really great team effort.”

List led the Bobcats with 23 kills to go along with three blocks. Connelly added 18 kills and three blocks. Ringer had 48 assists.

Alaina Whitlinger led Freeport with 24 kills and three blocks, while Yellowjackets teammate Grace Beach had 57 assists.

Saturday’s championship match wasn’t the first time Beaver and Freeport have met with a title on the line.

They faced each other in the WPIAL final in 2016 and 2017 when Charlene Horwatt coached the Bobcats.

Freeport won in 2016, but Beaver won in 2017.

Then in the PIAA semifinals in 2017, Freeport avenged its loss to Beaver and went on to win the state title.

These two teams could meet again in this year’s state tournament which starts Tuesday … if they advance to the semifinals.

But first Beaver will play the District 10 runner-up in its first-round game.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Beaver volleyball pulls off upset of Freeport, wins WPIAL Class 2A championship