Volleyball: Freedom Takes Northwest Region Honors with LaMantia Player of Year, Clark Coach of the Year

(Dec. 1, 2011) - Freedom High School's first ever AAA Northwest Regional girls volleyball title has been followed up with some regional honors as senior Kaitlyn LaMantia has been named the Player of the Year and Eagles skipper Jim Clark is the Coach of the Year.

Freedom also placed Jasmin Jackson and Andrea Phung on the first team along with Broad Run's Mallory Brickerd. Second team honors went to Molly Maloney of Broad Run.

Northwest Region Girls Volleyball 2011 Selections
First Team: Kaitlyn LaMantia (Freedom), Mallory Brickerd (Broad Run), Jasmine Jackson (Freedom), Caroline Brailsford (Patrick Henry), Katrina Houston (North Stafford), Beatriz Fernandez (Woodbridge), Stephanie Kelly (Forest Park), Sarah Miller (Patrick Henry), Andrea Phung (Freedom)- Libero;

Second Team: Kendall Jones (North Stafford), Gabby Myers (Colonial Forge), Ashley Searing (Franklin County), Molly Maloney (Broad Run), Hanna Radhi (Battlefield), Alyssa Sanchez (Osbourn Park), Gabrielle Cruz (Forest Park), Erin Morrissey (Woodbridge), Cindy Ehrich (Riverbend)- Libero

Volleyball: Freedom's LaMantia Officially Signs with North Carolina State

South Riding (Nov. 10, 2011) - Freedom High School held a signing ceremony Wednesday as senior Kaitlyn LaMantia officially signed her Letter of Intent to play NCAA Division I women's volleyball at North Carolina State.

Photos courtesy of Freedom High School

Volleyball: Freedom, LaMantia Clinch AAA Regional Bid in Milestone Season

Special to VivaLoudoun

South Riding (Oct. 30, 2011) - Just four volleyball seasons ago, Freedom High School had a varsity program that had won only one game. Kaitlyn LaMantia, then a freshman, learned a valuable lesson: it was clear that other teams were quicker and stronger.

Freedom started to click her sophomore season when the Eagles won 11 games. Everybody in the program was getting better and it showed. With 18 wins last season, Freedom earned the school's first ever regional and state volleyball appearances.

This year the Eagles goal is to surpass the 18-win mark and return to the state playoffs, even though they have been promoted to the larger-school AAA classification. LaMantia and the Eagles, with a 17-5 record, have already clinched a regional bid after capturing the school's first ever district volleyball title last week with wins over then-leader Broad Run and Stonewall Jackson.

If that milestone wasn't enough, LaMantia, the only 4-year varsity starter Freedom has had in the history of the program, has achieved a record that is a very uncommon milestone in volleyball for a player that plays setter half the time she is on the court and also plays outside hitter the other half of the time.

The milestone: LaMantia has achieved her 1,000 career assist Thursday night in the district-title clinching win against Stonewall Jackson.

Volleyball: Freedom Junior Kaitlyn LaMantia Makes Verbal Commitment to Play at NCAA Division I North Carolina State

Kaitlyn LaMantia

South Riding (Feb. 15, 2011) - Freedom High School junior setter Kaitlyn LaMantia has verbally committed to play volleyball at NCAA Division I North Carolina State starting in 2012.

LaMantia was named first team All-Dulles District, first team All-Region II and broke multiple Freedom volleyball records this past season such as aces in a season, match, and career, assists in career, and service points in a match.

Freedom had its best season ever, finishing runner-up in the region and advancing to the state tournament for the first time.

Also during LaMantia's VA Elite 16's club volleyball season last year, the team won the age 16 CHRVA Regional Championship tournament which qualified the team to play in the 2010 USAV Girls' Junior National Championships in Reno NV. The VA Elite 16's team placed 19th in the country in the National Division.

Currently LaMantia plays setter on the VA Elite 17's team which has won multiple tournaments this season to include the 2011 Monument City Classic 17's open division in Richmond in January.

LaMantia is the fifth member of her VA Elite 17s team to commit early to a Division 1 School.

VivaLoudoun's Updated College Choice Chart -- check out where all the athletes are headed next year and the early decisions for the Class of 2012!!