Freeport tasting some success

Regrouping after a hard-luck 0-11 season, the Freeport girls’ volleyball team has adjusted comfortably to its new conference – Nassau AA-C3. A 3-0 home win against Westbury last Friday brought the Lady Red Devils to 3-3, pushing Freeport to fourth place and into the top half of the conference.

Second-year Freeport coach Eleanore Barry credits her squad with making the most of a learning experience. “We’re playing more as a unit this year,” Barry said. “I’m very proud of the girls. They grew a lot. They came back and matured a lot. And you can see it on the court.”

Veteran seniors Jada Lowe and Ashley Auringer are back on Freeport’s starting front row at outside hitter and attacker respectively. “Jada stays on the floor the entire game,” Barry said of Freeport’s service ace leader. “She’s a consistent player who is good all around the court. Ashley’s our biggest attacker. And she’s got a serve that will take out most girls.”

Juniors Kelly Flores and Griseli Aracena-Ortiz, both up from junior varsity, have done yeoman’s work as Freeport’s setters. “Kelly hustles all the time, always gives 150 percent,” Barry said. “She’s young but she’s a role model. Griseli was a quick learner coming up from JV. She’s quick on the court as well.”

Keeping order in the backcourt, junior Yuliana Frometa is a two-year starter for Freeport at libero, while senior Jeniffer Ramos is a first-year first-string defensive specialist. “Yulianna gets everything out there,” Barry said. “Lots of hustle with that girl, very aggressive player. Jeniffer is our go-to defender. She gets the job done when she’s on that back row.”

Freeport moved quickly to make it clear that last year’s campaign is a thing of the past, beating Uniondale 3-0 to open the season. The Lady Red Devils then fell 3-0 to East Rockaway, but rebounded with a 3-0 win against Hempstead.

A pair of losses followed, the latter of which marked what Barry described as a kind of high-point of the early season – even though, strictly speaking, it occurred at the Lady Red Devils’ nadir: On Sept. 25 Freeport fell to unbeaten Herricks 3-1 on the road, dropping to 2-3 and into fifth place in AA-C3.

“We’re playing stronger teams a lot of the time, and that’s where you can grow,” Barry said. “When we played Herricks I was proud of how the girls fought. We were just a few points away from winning sets. If we can play close against good teams, that’s how we get stronger.”

It is likely Westbury would concur that the Herricks game had a steeling effect on Freeport, which responded by immediately uncorking its second shutout.

“Our purpose as a team is to get to a higher conference,” said Barry, whose 13-player roster carries only four graduating players. “The girls are showing they can hang in with tough competition. They also show that they can grow and learn, and support each other. The main thing we’re doing is trying to improve the program.”