Breaking through: Mustangs earn volleyball playoff win over Freeport, 3-1
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands’ Shannon Watkins (3) sets the ball for Bella Buwawa during Thursday night’s WPIAL playoff match against Freeport at Harold “Horse” Taylor Memorial Gymnasium. Watkins had 46 assists and Buwawa had 15 kills in the Mustangs’ 3-1 victory.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands players celebrate after the Mustangs closed out Freeport, 3-1, in their WPIAL Class 3A first-round playoff match Thursday night at Harold “Horse” Taylor Memorial Gymnasium.
Rob Burchianti | Herald-Standard
Laurel Highlands’ Alison Humberston drills one of her 18 kills past Freeport’s front line during Thursday night’s WPIAL playoff match at Harold “Horse” Taylor Memorial Gymnasium.
Laurel Highlands' Maddie Wheeler passes the ball during Thursday night's WPIAL playoff match against Freeport at Harold "Horse" Taylor Memorial Gymnasium.
Laurel Highlands' Morgan Wheeler blocks a shot by Freeport's Adelynn Rusek during Thursday night's WPIAL playoff match at Harold "Horse" Taylor Memorial Gymnasium.
Laurel Highlands' Shannon Watkins delivers a jump serve to Freeport during Thursday night's WPIAL playoff match at Harold "Horse" Taylor Memorial Gymnasium.
Laurel Highlands coach Emily Konter gives instructions to Maddie Wheeler and Maria Brown during Thursday night's WPIAL playoff match against Freeport at Harold "Horse" Taylor Memorial Gymnasium.
Emily Konter has stacked up some impressive accomplishments since she took over as Laurel Highlands’ girls volleyball head coach in 2017 with four consecutive WPIAL playoff berths and a pair of section championships.
The one goal that had eluded the Mustangs in that span was a postseason victory.
Konter can now check that one off her list after Thursday night.
Laurel Highlands jumped out to a 2-0 lead then rebounded after a letdown in the third set to put away visiting Freeport, 3-1, in a WPIAL Class 3A first-round match at Harold “Horse” Taylor Memorial Gymnasium.
Scores were 25-22, 25-15, 16-25 and 25-23.
“We’re just relieved and so excited, especially for the seniors,” Konter said. “They’re a super-talented group. I’ve been with them all four years and it feels really good to see them pull out this win.”
Laurel Highlands advances to Monday’s quarterfinals and a 7 p.m. match at third-seeded Montour.
Senior Alison Humbertson smashed 18 kills to go along with 14 digs, senior Shannon Watkins totaled 46 assists and 19 digs and junior Bella Buwawa hammered home 15 kills for the sixth-seeded Mustangs.
LH also got 13 kills from junior Morgan Wheeler and 25 digs from senior Maddie Wheeler as both sisters had strong all-around performances.
“They all really wanted it tonight and I think it showed as they were all working as a team,” Konter said. “Each one had their moment. That was nice to see that they could all step up.”
The Mustangs were tested several times during the match, including in the opening set when they fell behind by five points.
Laurel Highlands pulled to within 22-21, then won the final four points, all by Humbertson, for a 25-22 win and a 1-0 lead. She finished the set with a thunderous kill.
“I was so excited for the match,” Humberston said. “I was hoping to push my team to the next round. I thought we could do more than we ever had before. I knew we had it in us.”
It was Buwawa’s turn to grab the spotlight in the second set. With LH down 10-8, Buwawa delivered three kills in a seven-point run that pushed the Mustangs ahead and they rolled from there to a 25-15 win and a 2-0 advantage.
Buwawa, who missed two games due to a late-season injury, said she’s back at full strength.
“It felt so good to be back out there and I was thinking I don’t want our season to be over yet,” said an emotional Buwawa. “This team is so together, we’ve played together for a long time and we wanted to keep going.”
Konter wasn’t surprised by her team’s fast start.
“All the girls were anxious all day,” Konter said. “You could tell in that first set, the adrenalin was pumping, they were ready to go.”
Seemingly unstoppable, Laurel Highlands suddenly sputtered in the third set, falling behind 14-6 before losing 25-16 as Freeport sliced the lead to 2-1.
At that point the situation was eerily similar to last season’s playoff opener when LH cruised to a 2-0 lead only to watch Armstrong take the final three sets and the match.
“They were determined not to let it slip away from them this time, especially our seniors, and our underclassmen helped them out,” said Konter, who rallied her troops before the fourth set. “We really had to refocus, learn from our mistakes in the third set but leave the bad emotions from that set out.
“We talked about getting the energy back and keeping the momentum. I felt like we lost some of that in the third game and that’s really what we thrive off of, especially when you have fans in the gym. You get the momentum, you start swinging a little more freely, you start feeling a little more comfortable.
“We focused on energy and making the smart play and that ended up paying off.”
The Mustangs shot out to a commanding 12-3 lead to start the fourth set after riding Maddie Wheeler’s serve to a seven-point run.
“I think we all get in a little rut now and then. It’s just important that we come back out of it,” Maddie Wheeler said of the way her team bounced back from the third-set loss. “We’ve wanted it so much more this year.”
Freeport, which won the 2019 WPIAL Class 2A title before being bumped up a level this season, wasn’t about to bow out that easy, though.
The 11th-seeded Yellowjackets battled back and a five-point run got them within 19-18 and the teams traded points to make it 20-19.
“They have a winning culture,” Konter said of Freeport. “You could see in the way that they played.”
The Mustangs showed they have what it takes to be a winner also as they took the next two points, the second on a Humberston kill, to go up 22-19, forcing Freeport coach Tom Phillips to call a timeout.
The teams traded points until another Humbertston kill put LH in front 24-21 to give the Mustangs three shots at closing out the match and they did so on the third attempt for a 25-23 win.
While Maddie Wheeler’s serving got LH on track, it was the stellar play of Morgan Wheeler that spurred the Mustangs on down the stretch.
“Morgan took over in the fourth set,” Konter said. “She was huge at the net tonight, just making the smart play, putting it to the open court.”
After the final point, the Mustangs screamed with joy and players stormed the court as their fans exploded.
“It’s so good to get a chance to celebrate after you worked so hard,” Maddie Wheeler said. “I had chills.
“We have put absolutely everything into playing and we really just try to keep the fire under us, and I think having that, and having each other and really focusing on being a good teammate has pushed us to the next level.”
Watkins was the only Mustang that had tasted playoff success in the past, having helped guide Geibel Catholic to the district semifinals a year ago before transferring to Laurel Highlands. Her experience had an impact as she was a steadying force for the team throughout the match.
Watkins said the team welcomed her with open arms.
“They were great. I had played with some of them before on club teams so it wasn’t too new, but I still had to get used to everybody and they had to get used to me,” she said. “And it all worked out.”
Watkins thought one of the keys to success was how Maddie Wheeler and she adjusted to new roles.
“I was able to set this year and Maddie was able to pass, and she’s huge in the back,” Watkins said. “She takes control back there. We needed a strong defense this year and she brings it.”
Watkins isn’t satisfied with just one victory for the Mustangs.
“This is huge, but we can do more,” she said. “I think the WPIAL is up for grabs for anybody this year.”