DIVISION 1
Defending champion Burlington (38-5) moved one game closer to earning back-to-back titles in Division 1 with a 25-17, 25-13, 29-27 sweep over Waukesha West Friday evening at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis.
Emily Alan led a balanced hitting attack for the Demons with 11 kills and contributed on defense at the net with four block assists. Coley Haggard added eight kills, and both Maddie Berezowitz and Camerson Lukenbill chipped in with six kills. Kaley Blake distributed a game-high 30 assists, and Samantha Naber collected a game-high 17 digs.
The Wolverines were led offensively by Anna Nerad with 13 kills and a .524 hitting percentage for the match. Alexis Boling added seven kills, and Darragh Dixon dished out a team-high 20 assists.
The Demons will play for the program’s fourth State championship Saturday evening, and Waukesha West (35-11) ends its season with its first State appearance.
Oconomowoc (31-7), the third seed, overcame a two-set deficit to down second-seeded River Falls 17-25, 25-23, 30-32, 18-25, 15-8 in the Division 1 semifinals Friday night.
The Raccoons were led in hitting by Elle Schult, who collected 17 kills with a .680 on 25 attempts, and Tayler Alden and Maleah Howe each recorded double-figures in kills with 15 and 13, respectively. Alden also led the team with 33 assist and four service aces. Caitlin Crawford and Haley Koch were the defensive leaders for Oconomowoc. Crawford made a team-high 18 digs, and Koch was credited with four block assists.
The Wildcats started the match efficiently on the offensive side, recording a .338 hitting percentage through the first two sets. However, they managed to hit at just a .154 clip the final three sets. Halle Olson led all attackers with 20 kills, and Emily Banitt contributed with 17 kills. Maddie Morrow led all players with 47 assets, and Mariah Marg posted a game-high 27 digs.
Oconomowoc returns to the championship final for the second time, and last year’s runner-up River Falls ends its season with the Wildcats’ third State tournament appearance.
DIVISION 2
East Troy (30-8) swept Mosinee 25-21, 25-13, 26-24 in the Division 2 semifinals at the Resch Center in Green Bay Friday afternoon.
Katie Winkler and Bina Scuric led the Trojans’ offensive arsenal with 20 and 15 kills, respectively. Winklers’ 20 kills ties for fifth-most for a three-set Division 2 match in the State tournament. Emily Wendt was credited with handing out 36 assists in the match to lead all setters. Scuric contributed to the East Troy cause with three aces and a team-leading 12 digs.
The Indians couldn’t generate enough offense against the Trojans’ defense, hitting at a .140 clip as a team. Janae Antosch was the leading attacker in the match for Mosinee with eight kills. She also led the team in assists with 10. Allison Miller led all defenders with a game-high 13 digs.
East Troy returns to the championship match for the third time and for the first time since 2015. The Indians (37-7) end the season with their second State appearance.
Kettle Moraine Lutheran (31-10) capitalized on a balanced hitting attack to defeat Little Chute 25-21, 22-25, 25-22, 28-26 in the Division 2 semifinals Friday afternoon.
Three players recorded double-figures in kills for the Chargers, including Ariana Miller with a team-high 17. Brooke Voigt and Elle Truckenbrod added 15 and 14 kills a piece. Carissa Egelseer dished out 48 of the team’s 51 assists in the match, which ranks tied for fourth in a Division 2, four-set State tournament match. Gianna Feld and Voigt led the defense with 15 and 13 digs, respectively.
Little Chute was led by Hanna Vanden Berg with 29 kills, which set a Division 2 record for the most kills in a four-set match. Gabi Roemer had a hand in many of those with 38 assists. Vanden Berg also led the team in digs with 16. Katie Joten and Marley Johnson each contributed a game-high three aces.
Kettle Moraine Lutheran seeks its sixth State championship Saturday, and Little Chute (38-2) ends its season with a 38-2 mark and its fourth State appearance.
DIVISION 3
Defending champion Lake Country Lutheran (37-11) remains in the hunt for a second straight title following a 25-16, 25-18, 25-16 sweep of Grantsburg Friday afternoon at the Resch Center.
Jennifer O’Keefe and Breanna Pape paced the Lighting offense at the net with 12 kills apiece. Pape hit for an impressive .579 attack percentage, and O’Keefe recorded a .345 hitting percentage. Alyna Ritter led the team in assists with 40, and Rylee Vaughn contributed with a five assists, three service aces and a game-high 20 digs.
The Pirates struggled on offense with a .150 hitting percentage. Olivia Ohnstad had the most success on the attack with a team-high seven kills. Charli Siebenthal distributed a team-high 14 assists, and Jenna McNally led the squad in digs with 15.
The Lightning will play in their third championship final Saturday, and the Pirates (31-6) were eliminated from their 14th State appearance.
Stratford (44-0) continues its quest for an undefeated season and a State championship with a 25-23, 20-25, 25-11, 25-16 win over Living Word Lutheran Friday at the Resch Center.
The Tigers were led in kills by Mazie Nagel with 23 and Lauryn Nagel added 11. Jadyn Dahlke dished out a team-high 32 assists, and Brooke Peterson contributed with 17 assists and a game-high three service aces. McKenna Krall paced the team in digs with 19.
The Timberwolves were led by Keri Walker with 37 kills, which is two shy of the State tournament Division 3 record for four sets. Her 70 attack attempts and .429 hitting percentage also ranks among the top performances for a four-set match in the Division 3 State record books. Maggie Fox distributed 47 assist, which ranks third-most for a four-set match. On defense, Alicia Gutknecht led Living Word Lutheran with 15 digs.
Stratford will appear in its first State title game Saturday, and Living Word Lutheran (29-7) ends its season with its second State appearance.
DIVISION 4
Defending champion Clayton (29-3) advanced to the championship match with a 26-24, 26-24, 25-20 over River Ridge in a Division 4 semifinal at the Resch Center Friday morning.
The Bears overcame deficits in the first two games to win the sets and go on to the post the victory. Selena Levendoski led all attackers with 25 kills for Clayton. Jaedyn Bussewitz chipped in with 11 kills. Marissa Gilbertson dished out 44 of the team’s 48 assists, and Bussewitz led four Bears recording double-figures in digs with 17. Levendowski was credited with two block solos and four assists.
The Timberwolves were led offensively by Skylar White with 21 kills and Taylor Langmeier with 16. Verity Johnson and Jaci Williams shared the setting duties with 18 and 16 assists, respectively. White also served a game-high three aces. Johnson was also the team leader in digs with 14.
The Timberwolves’ first loss of the season (24-1) comes in their first State tournament appearance, and the Bears advance to the title game for the third straight season.
Catholic Central (38-7) defeated Newman Catholic 25-17, 25-21, 26-24 in the Division 4 semifinals Friday morning at the Resch Center.
The Hilltoppers rode the strength of their prowess from the serving line, setting a Division 4 State tournament record with 17 aces for a three-set match. Sammie Seib led the way with six aces, which was one short the State tourney individual record. Seib also collected 11 kills. Grace Spiegelhoff led the Hilltoppers’ hitting attack with 12 kills. Elizabeth Klein contributed defensively with 10 digs.
The Fighting Cardinals were led on offense by Linnea Svennes with 12 kills, and Stevie Samuels with 22 assists. Lauren Shields recorded a team-leading 12 digs to go with her seven kills.
Catholic Central returns to the State final for the first time since 2012 and for the seventh time overall, and Newman Catholic finishes its season with a 31-13 record and the Cardinals’ 11th State appearance.