Freeport finding its swing

Sitting at 2-3 on the season entering this week’s action with consecutive losses to Hicksville Sept. 17 and Baldwin last Friday, Freeport girls’ volleyball still has to work on finding its swing.

The Red Devils know exactly what they need to do in order to have a successful season: close out matches. It was most evident in their 3-2 loss to Hicksville when they were up two sets to none, before the Comets pulled off the reverse sweep. The most difficult part was that the deciding set was inches apart, 16-14.

“We’re a little disappointed in that one but it was on us” Freeport coach Lolita Beathea said. “We play well but we don’t know how to finish. The confidence is not fully developed totally yet, so I feel like they don’t know that they can do it yet, so they haven’t learned to finish. And I spoke to them and they’re like ‘no Ms. Beathea, it’s us. We haven’t learned how to finish, how to stay on top of people.’”

The front row actually looks to be the most dangerous for opponents, because that’s where her youngest and most promising talent lies currently.

Beathea has a few standouts that she believes could help the team turn around its inconsistency: junior Madison Harris, outside hitter Natalie Pinckney, sophomore setter Sharon Montoya, and sophomore middle hitter Danya Davis.

Davis stands out as a big blocker and a big hitter, Beathea said with no hesitation. Harris jumps off the court (literally) as an exceptional blocker, with Pinckney’s strength from the outside with Davis’ ability to set anybody, according to Beathea, success is imminent.

“Even if we have to play a 5-1, [Sharon] can set the entire game,” Beathea said. “She’s good! She was good as a freshman, she really was, and her going to camp just made her that much better.”

Beathea credits Montoya’s and Davis’ success with the extra work they put in over the summer at a volleyball camp, seeing how its paying off on the court now because the two setters are that much more efficient in their roles.

“They understand what I’m trying to say to them when I say ‘set a one, set a two, set outside,’” Beathea said. “Because the setter is the quarterback, when you’re setting, you have to know who to set the ball to.”

There’s more talent in the works for Freeport too, namely junior Jonaye Soto, who’s on the varsity team for the first time after being on JV since her freshman year. “She’s adjusting well,” Beathea said.

Isabella Garcia, a freshman setter who came to the team from Oceanside, and Beathea says is improving regularly. “She’s actually started a couple of games,” Beathea boasted.

Eyes on the prize for Beathea: she wants to see the Red Devils finish above .500, but for that to happen, one hurdle at a time.

“The takeaway for them is that they have to learn how to finish,” she said. “We can’t beat a team the first two sets and then give them a chance to get back in it.”