Freedom and Bethlehem Catholic’s volleyball teams are one step closer to the championship round, as both teams are hoping to come away with District 11 crowns in their respective 4A and 3A classes this week.

The Patriots (9-2) took on Parkland (11-0) in Tuesday’s semifinal round, as the results of that contest were past Press deadlines.

The winner would meet either Pocono Mountain West (11-0) or Emmaus (9-3) in Thursday’s District 11 championship and Pates head coach Donna Roman knows it’ll be a tough endeavor to get past the perennially strong Trojans.

“To defeat Parkland, we need to limit our errors,” Roman said. “Parkland is a very intelligent team and they will monopolize on our mistakes. It is also important for us to stay aggressive at the net. Knowing that Parkland is strong offensively and defensively, we need our hitters to stay aggressive so they have to fight for every point. “

Both teams have not met each other this season, but Freedom is hoping that some momentum from back-to-back sweeps over Liberty in their regular season finale and in their district opener can pave the way toward an upset this week.

“The positive we are taking away from sweeping Liberty is our ability to finish. We had sets where we had to hold on to our lead and other sets where we worked to come from behind to win the set,” said Roman. “That drive to finish will be a positive going into the Parkland match. Another positive takeaway is teamwork. These are players who pick each other up with their play and with their attitudes. They know they can rely on each other to get through strong teams. This Freedom team is the strongest unit we have seen and their cohesiveness is a large part of their success so far this season.”

Bethlehem Catholic (13-0) had no problem no advancing to Thursday’s championship against Southern Lehigh (12-0) after sweeping Pottsville in the semis last week.

That leaves an undefeated showdown between two of class 3A’s top teams for district gold.

Head coach Kelly Brown knows that any matchup with Southern Lehigh will be difficult, but is confident in her side’s ability.

“The biggest keys are for us to stay consistent and composed throughout the entire match,” said Brown. “Also, for us to play our 30 x 30 and do what we need to do on our side.

“The team as a whole has been extremely competitive throughout the year and have been preparing themselves for this point in the season. For six of our teammates, the seniors, this is their do or die moment.”