Neenah (45-4) was crowned champion in Division 1 with a 25-17, 25-23, 25-10 triumph over Burlington (39-10) in the final held Saturday at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
The Rockets were in control throughout the match. The largest deficit they had in the game was at 3-1 in the second set.
“We saved our best for last; we played extremely well,” said Neenah Head Coach Bruce Moriarity. “I just loved the way we competed today.
“We rose to the occasion in this championship match,” he continued. “Our players have a way of stepping up when they really need to, and I’m really proud of them.”
It was the Neenah offensive attack that helped keep the Rockets in control throughout the match. They converted on a .347 hitting percentage for the game. Addie Barnes posted a game-high 13 kills, and Hope Werch added 12 kills to pace the Rockets. Mikayla Butts dished-out a match-high 42 assists to direct the Rockets’ attack.
The Demons were led by Abby Koenen with 10 kills and Kaley Blake with 20 assists. They struggled to find a consistent attack at the net throughout the match, finishing with a .077 hitting percentage.
Neenah celebrates its second State title in its 14th State Tournament appearance. The Rockets only other championship came in Class A back in 1978. Burlington finishes runner-up in its eighth State appearance.
Perennial Power Catholic Memorial captured its third straight Division 2 championship with a three-set sweep over Notre Dame in the title game Saturday at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
The Crusaders won the match by scores of 25-23, 25-19, 25-14. After Catholic Memorial came back to win the first set, the Tritons appeared poised to even the match in the second set, leading 17-7. However, Catholic Memorial ran off 12 straight points ignited by four service aces by Kathryn Christian to take a 19-17 lead and go on to victory in the set.
“We just had to get a side out, and once we got that side out, it was like a whole new breath of life,” said Catholic Memorial Head Coach Ted Schulte about the turnaround in the second set. “Kat started ripping off a number of really nice serves and a little momentum began coming our way.”
Lexi Alden and Ivey Whalen were a handful on the attack for the Crusaders. Alden had a match-high 15 kills with a .351 hitting percentage, and Whalen added 11 kills with a .381 percentage. Christian led all servers with six aces, and Maddy Rondeau and Emily Mirsberger provided support with 23 and 10 assists, respectively.
Grace Campbell led the Tritons in kills with nine. Sydney Slack and Morgan Van Drisse added six kills apiece. Corinne Meglic dealt out a game-high 24 assists, and Whitney MeMeuse had a team-high 13 digs.
Catholic Memorial won its seventh State championship overall, which is tied for second-most in the membership. The Tritons finish runner-up in their second State experience.
Howards Grove (42-4) defeated Lourdes Academy (37-11) 26-24, 25-13, 25-21 in the final to win the Division 3 championship Saturday at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
The Tigers trailed 4-0 in the first set but scored six of the next seven points to take the lead at 6-5. After a tie at 9-9 in the set, Howards Grove never trailed the rest of the match.
“It’s a great feeling,” Head Coach Brett Damrow said. “I don’t even know how to put it into words. The athletes truly trusted their training since day one, and we relied on that tonight. I couldn’t be any more proud of this group.”
Samantha Yancy led the Tigers with a game-high 22 kills for a .346 hitting percentage in the match. Olivia Stauss contributed offensively with 11 kills, and Taylor Bubolz led all setters in the match with 35 assists.
Rachel Aasby led the way for the Knights with 14 kills and a .353 hitting percentage; however, Lourdes was limited to a .183 percentage as a team. Hollie Bartlett doled out 22 assists for the Knights.
The Tigers captured their second State title in three appearances. The other championship was in Class C back in 1976. The Knights finish runner-up in their second State appearance.
Newman Catholic (34-7) became the first Division 4 team to win four straight girls volleyball championships with a 25-22, 25-10, 25-13 victory over Clayton (28-6) in the final Saturday at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
The Fighting Cardinals trailed 20-17 in the first set but rallied to outscore the Bears 8-2 to win the set and take control of the match.
“We just kept reminding them what we are going after, and to stay competitive and have fun in the moment too,” Head Coach Betty Lange said in reference to her message to the team during a first-set time out. “This is probably the best match our team has played, and what a time to come through in flying colors.”
Mariah Whalen shattered the Division 4 State Tournament record for hitting percentage in a match at .632 . She recorded a match-high 26 kills, and Rylie Vaughn pitched in with eight kills and a team-high 21 assists and 10 digs. The Fighting Cardinals were efficient in their hitting attack, evident by their .467 hitting percentage in the match.
The Bears were led offensively by Selena Levendoski with 11 kills. McKenna Larson and Alison Leslie added nine and eight kills, respectively. Marissa Gilbertson contributed with 29 assists.
The Cardinals’ fourth title comes in their ninth appearance in the State Tournament. Clayton finishes runner-up for the third time in the Bears’ four appearances.