Freedom High School girls volleyball team battling through several injuries

When Freedom girls volleyball coach Joe Yoo finished rattling off his team's list of injured players last week, he couldn't help but chuckle -- though he probably didn't find it very funny.

The Patriots, who are 1-4 entering tonight's game against Pleasant Valley, were without four of their nine varsity players when they were swept by Nazareth last Thursday.

Seniors Arielle Nicholson and Shaylyn Jaworowski, junior Logan Close and sophomore Hannah McMullan were out of the Freedom lineup nursing various injuries.

Still, despite a being ravaged by ailments, the Patriots didn't seem too far off. Which is something Yoo and opposing coach Jill Lichty noted afterwards.

Junior Caralyn Reese is a strong finisher and solid defensively for Freedom, and two-time Express-Times first-team libero, Rylie Haas, can stand on her head to keep kills off the floor and her team in the game.

"I think she gets kids excited by the fact that she's playing so well and passing well," Yoo said of Haas. "It gets you involved in the game. She does everything she's asked."

The Patriots already had to deal with losing two-time Express-Times Player of the Year Brianne Giangiobbe (who had to handle her own set of injuries last season) to graduation. That's a task hardly attainable when the full squad can't get on the floor at the same time to build chemistry.

It's been rough sledding so far, but if Freedom can shake the injury bug, opposing teams are going to hate seeing the Pates in the latter part of the year.

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Freedom High School girls volleyball team battling through several injuries