Freedom boys edge Heritage in volleyball

By Juan Cebreiros Correspondent

The Freedom Falcons boys volleyball team defeated the visiting Heritage Patriots 3-2 (25-22, 11-25, 25-16, 2025, 15-7) on March 28 in the opening Bay Valley Athletic League match for both teams.

The two teams entered the match with their seasons going in opposite directions starting league play. The Falcons had lost four of their previous last five games while the Patriots were riding a six-game winning streak.

“My boys have a lot of potential, and it’s just a matter of bringing them together and for them to believe that they are able to contend,” said Falcons head coach Elizabeth Rivas about her team looking to turn their season around entering league play.

The Falcons won the opening set 25-22, but the mo- mentum would not last as the match moved into Set 2. The Patriots jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead to start the second set and the Falcons were never able to recover, which tied the match at 1-1.

“We had too many unforced er rors, we were caught off guard and we relaxed too much,” said Rivas about her team’s second-set performance.

The two teams traded scores to open up the third set, but the Falcons went on a 5-0 run and never looked back as they cruised to a 25-16 victory in Set 3 to regain momentum and put their team at match point.

Set 4 started similarly to Set 2 as the Patriots rushed out to a 6-0 lead. However, this time, the Falcons fought their way back this set and managed to pull to within three points. The comeback fell short, however, with the Patriots taking the set victory 25-20 and forcing a deciding Set 5. “Explaining to them to work together as a team and bringing it back to basics is what gained our momentum to end the set,” Rivas said.

This time, the momentum carried over into the next set, and the Falcons were able to secure a victory. The Falcons scored six unanswered points to win Set 5 15-7.

“I believe we are contenders,” Rivas said about league play. The Falcons start league play 1-0 and improve their overall season record to 5-13. Their next match was at Pittsburg High School on April 4 against the Pirates. The Patriots start league play 0-1 with this loss snapping their six-game win streak and dropping their record to 7-4. Heritage played next on the home court of the Deer Valley Wolverines on April 4.