This is shaping up to be a memorable season for Freedom on the volleyball court and the Pates kept their winning momentum in tact last week.

Freedom swept Easton and Pocono Mountain East in both of their games last week to improve to 9-1 on the year.

After falling to Whitehall in five games on April 2, head coach John Yanek hopes that hiccup might do his squad more good in the long run.

“It’s great to get back to winning,” said Yanek. “I think Whitehall was definitely a wake-up call. They realized we are in control and we control the court and that we need to be prepared for every match no matter who the opponent is.”

Freedom has three games this week against Allen (8-3), Nazareth (8-1) and Pocono Mountain West (2-7).

The upstart Canaries are a surprise contender for the district playoffs, but the showdown with Nazareth is going to be another indicator of where this Freedom team really is in the hierarchy of the EPC.

Emmaus sits atop of the conference, as they’re the only undefeated team in District 11, but the battle for the second spot is between the Blue Eagles and Patriots, making Tuesday’s showdown even more important.

“We are pretty deep on the bench and every starter knows that they have to do their job or they can be replaced at any point,” said Yanek. “Most of them have been playing varsity for several years together. They have strong goals and are very competitive.”