The Easton Area Rovers will head out on the road to take on the Freedom Patriots at 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
Easton Area lost 3-0 to Bethlehem Catholic on Thursday. The defeat continues a trend for the Rovers in their meetings with the Hawks: they've now lost four in a row.
Easton Area took the loss but they managed to make steady progress, increasing their score in every set they played. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-4, 25-19, 25-20.
Jaymee Knox put forth a good effort for the losing side as she had nine digs and one assist. Olivia Rempala also deserves some recognition as she had her first kill of the season.
Meanwhile, Freedom came tearing into Thursday's contest with five straight wins , and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Blue Eagles by a score of 3-1. The game was the first time the Patriots have beaten the Blue Eagles on their court since September 2, 2023.
While Freedom might've won, it sure wasn't easy: Nazareth Area scored at least 18 points in every set they played. The final score came out to 25-18, 27-29, 25-21, 25-22.
Easton Area better keep an eye on Ondine Murabet. She was instrumental in Freedom's win, getting 18 digs and three aces. Those 18 digs gave Murabet a new career-high.
Freedom was lethal from the service line and finished the match with 14 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least six aces in 18 consecutive matchups.
Easton Area now has a losing record of 8-9-2. As for Freedom, their record now sits at 18-5-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Monday's match: Easton Area has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 6.6 aces per game. However, it's not like Freedom struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.5 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Easton Area came up short against Freedom in their previous meeting back in August, falling 3-1. Can the Rovers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
