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Though only a sophomore, Fremont strong side hitter Madeline Vigil is already aware that power at her position should be supplemented with cleverness in order to beat the block sometimes.
Vigil did dink one shot past the Syracuse defense very late in a match Thursday, but for the most part, it was Vigil and Fremont senior Whitney Wray that put some major pop on the ball in key moments of a 25-19, 21-25, 25-19, 26-24 victory over Syracuse.
With the win, the Silverwolves continue their hot start in Region 7-4A and handed the host Titans their first region loss.
"It was a really, really good match and they're a really tough team. We knew it was going to be a battle. We came in ready and they fought back," Vigil said. "When it comes down to the nitty gritty, I guess I just focus on the game and it comes.
"Not every set or pass, or every hit is going to be there. You just have to play smart," she added.
With Syracuse (7-8, 2-1) threatening to force a deciding fifth game, Wray put an end to a 6-1 Titans' run with a blast to make the score 23-22. But Fremont (10-7, 4-0) gave up the lead when a kill from Syracuse middle Brooke Pehrson was followed by an ace by Titans' sophomore Emily Smith, which put the home team up 24-23.
That's when Vigil finished up her night of 16 kills by scoring three straight to end the match. Wray added 10 kills while Fremont middle Jessica Snarr added 12 putaways.
Fremont coach Kelly Snarr noted that her team's defense and passing improved at the end of the match.
Syracuse libero Abbey Bowden at one point was able to score three straight serving aces. But when Bowden went behind the line to serve late in the match, the Silverwolves only allowed one point this time around.
"It starts there with our passing. I'm proud of the girls the way they handled their servers today," Snarr said. "It's exciting that we were able to come out and do what we did."
Syracuse got 11 kills from Marlee Adams while 6-foot-2 Pehrson contributed eight kills and a pair of blocks from her middle position.
"We don't realize how good we are," Titans coach Nicole Davies said. "I think we played a little bit fearful today. We're usually a little more aggressive and we layed off our serves. We were afraid to miss rather than hitting aggressively."