State Boys and Girls Volleyball State Tournaments Preview and Team Links

0
35

State Boys & Girls Volleyball State Tournaments Preview and Team Links

THE TOURNAMENTS:  The 61st State Boys Volleyball Tournament and the 52nd State Girls Volleyball Tournament will be held Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 6-9, at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis.

TICKETS AVAILABLE:  Ticket prices for the tourney are $11 per session at the gate or $13 if purchased online for individuals 3-years old and older. To order tickets online, go to: https://www.wiaawi.org/Tickets#4269711-volleyball.

BOYS TOURNAMENT INFORMATION:  The single-elimination tournament features matches with a best-of-five-sets, rally-scoring format. Of the 65 schools eligible to participate in the boys volleyball tournament, eight remain to play for the single-division State title. Match-ups for the tournament are determined by seeding each of the teams.

Boys Quarterfinals – Wednesday, Nov. 6
#1 Hamilton (36-4) vs.  #8 Kenosha Indian Trail (19-15) – 7 p.m.
#4 Germantown (35-9) vs. #5 Appleton North (24-12) – 7 p.m.
#3 Middleton (32-4) vs. #6 Westosha Central (27-1) – 4 p.m.
#2 Marquette (26-6) vs. #7 New Berlin Eisenhower/West (27-7) – 4 p.m.

Boys Semifinals – Thursday, Nov. 7
Semifinal (Wednesday’s 7 p.m. winners) – 2 p.m.
Semifinal (Wednesday’s 4 p.m. winners) – 2 p.m.

Boys Championship Match – Friday, Nov. 8
Championship Match – 7:30 p.m.

GIRLS TOURNAMENT INFORMATION: The single-elimination tournament features five divisions for the first time. Match results are the best-of-five-sets, with a rally-scoring format. Of the 479 programs eligible for the girls volleyball tournament, eight teams will play for the State title in Division 1 with four teams still in contention for the State crown in Divisions 2, 3, 4 and 5. Match-ups for the tournament are determined by seeding each of the teams in all divisions.

Girls Division 1

Thursday, Nov. 7
#1 Divine Savior Holy Angels (44-1) vs. #8 Holmen (24-9) – 7:30 p.m.
#4 Mukwonago (34-9) vs. # 5 Hudson (36-2) – 7:30 p.m.
#3 Menomonee Falls (34-9) vs. #6 Bay Port (29-2) – 5 p.m.
#2 Hamilton (36-7) vs. #7 Oak Creek (24-16) – 5 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 8
Semifinal (Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. winners) – 1 p.m.
Semifinal (Thursday’s 5 p.m. winners) – 1 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 9
Championship Match – 7:30 p.m.

Girls Division 2

Friday, Nov. 8 – 10:30 a.m.
#1 Catholic Memorial (33-10) vs #4 Shawano (30-8)
#2 Luxemburg-Casco (29-12) vs #3 St. Thomas More (25-7)

Saturday, Nov. 9 – 5 p.m.
Championship Match

Girls Division 3

Friday, Nov. 8 – 8 a.m.
#1 Aquinas (27-4) vs. #4 Bonduel (29-4)
#2 Barron (35-2) vs. #3 Lake Country Lutheran (30-14)

Saturday, Nov. 9 – 2:30 p.m.
Championship Match

Girls Division 4

Thursday, Nov. 7 – 11:30 a.m.
#1 Manitowoc Lutheran (36-7) vs. #4 Wabeno/Laona (38-8)
#2 Regis (22-7) vs. #3 Mineral Point (28-6)

Saturday, Nov. 9 – 11:30 a.m.
Championship Match

Girls Division 5

Thursday, Nov. 7 – 9 a.m.
#1 Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran (36-4) vs. #4 Sheboygan Christian (26-15)
#2 Columbus Catholic (25-15) vs. #3 Newman Catholic (29-13)

Saturday, Nov. 9 – 9 a.m.
Championship Match

 

FINALS AIR ON WIAA STATE TELEVISION NETWORK:  Watch the live broadcast of the WIAA State Boys and Girls Volleyball Tournament finals Saturday on the WIAA State Television Network of stations. Here is a listing of the network stations and the channel guide for the broadcasts:

Madison
WKOW 27.2
Spectrum Channel 190
TDS Channel 29
Mediacom Channel 106

Wausau
WAOW 9.2
Spectrum 14/610
TDS channel 35/1035
DISH Channel 10
Solarus Channel 10

La Crosse
WXOW 19.2
Spectrum 15/610
Mediacom 4/9/10/133/820

Eau Claire
WQOW 18.2
Spectrum 15/610

Milwaukee
EVTV 24.1 (WVTV.2)

Green Bay/Appleton
ECWF (Cometz) 14.2 – Boys
WCWF (CW) 14.1 – Girls

The finals will also be streamed live on the WIAA State Television Network station websites at no cost or registration on WKOW.com, WAOW.com, WXOW.com and WQOW.com. In addition, watch the championship finals live on the 27 News Now, News 9 WAOW, WXOW News 19 La Crosse and WQOW 18 Eau Claire News apps.

PRE-FINAL MATCHES LIVE ON WIAA.TV The quarterfinals and semifinals of the WIAA State Boys & Girls Volleyball Tournaments will be streamed live on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS Network on a consumer subscription basis for $11.99 per month or $79.99 per year. To purchase a subscription to the live programming, visit https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/subscribe/retail. Archived Streams of the games will be available on demand on the NFHS Network 72 hours after the tournament with a subscription. In addition, the post-game media conferences will be streamed live on WIAA.TV approximately 10 minutes after the conclusion of each game.

LAST YEAR-GIRLS:  Top-seeded Divine Savior Holy Angels won the Division 1 title for the second year in a row with 25-14, 20-25, 27-25, 22-25, 15-8 victory over second-seeded Oconomowoc in the championship match. In Division 2, top-seeded Xavier captured the crown for the second consecutive year with a 25-17, 25-13, 25-10 sweep over third-seeded McFarland in the title match. St. Croix Falls, the #2 seed, won the championship by defeating former three-time defending champion and top seed Howards Grove in five sets 17-25, 25-23, 25-18, 24-26, 15-13 in the Division 3 title game. Top-seeded Wonewoc-Center won the Division 4 crown by defeating second-seeded Newman Catholic in five sets 21-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-17, 15-8 in the championship match.

LAST YEAR-BOYS:  Top-seeded Middleton won the championship with a five-set victory over second-seeded Arrowhead in the title game by scores of 25-18, 21-25, 25-22, 24-26, 15-6.

ABOUT THE GIRLS DIVISION 1 FIELD:  Two-time defending champion Divine Savior Holy Angels was issued the top seed in the bracket. The Dashers qualify for the third straight season and for the 13th time overall. In addition to winning the championships the last two seasons, they also captured the crown in 2001 and added back-to-back titles in 2014-15. They also advanced to the title match and finished runner-up in 2012. Prior to joining the WIAA, the Dashers won WISAA titles in 1972 and 1985. This season, they cruised past Wisconsin Lutheran 25-9, 25-11, 25-13 in the sectional final hosted by DSHA to earn their opportunity to win a third straight title. The Dashers were crowned champions in the Greater Metro Conference this fall. Hamilton is seeded second in the bracket. The Chargers make their fourth State appearance and their third in the last four seasons. They won the championship in 2020 with a reduced field of teams because of the COVID-19 mitigation accommodations. This season, they advance to the State semifinals following a 25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 25-22 win over Arrowhead in the Kettle Moraine Sectional final. The Chargers placed second in the Greater Metro Conference standings this season behind Divine Savior Holy Angels. Third-seeded Menomonee Falls is making its 12th State appearance and its first since 2016. The Phoenix earned the State title in 2016, and they also advanced to the title match in 2000, which resulted in a runner-up finish. They remain in contention for the State title this season by sweeping Slinger 25-8, 25-23, 28-26 in the final of the Fond du Lac Sectional. The Phoenix finished third in the Greater Metro Conference standings this season. Fourth-seeded Mukwonago will appear in the State Tournament for the second time in program history and for the first time since 2017, which resulted in a loss in the quarterfinal. The Indians swept Oconomowoc, the runner-up the past two seasons, by set scores of 25-17, 25-14, 25-16 in the Sun Prairie West Sectional final to earn their second trip to the Resch Center. They finished third in the Classic Eight Conference this year. Hudson, the fifth seed, will experience the State Tournament for the first time following its 25-14, 23-25, 25-16, 25-13 win over River Falls in the New Richmond Sectional final. The Raiders finished atop the Big Rivers Conference standings in 2024. Bay Port, the #6 seed, earned its first trip across town to the Resch Center following a 25-20, 25-19, 25-23 sweep over Kimberly in the Appleton North Sectional final. The Pirates are the champions of the Fox River Classic this season. Oak Creek is the seventh seed in the bracket this season. The Knights are back in the State Tournament for the eighth time and for the first time since 2021. Prior to that time, all of their previous experiences were during the pool-play era from 1980-95 and all of them came in Class A and Division 1. They had a string of four straight appearances from 1980-83, which produced a championship in 1982 and a runner-up finish in 1983. This season, the Knights defeated Franklin 19-25, 25-13, 25-13, 25-16 to advance to the State quarterfinals. They are the runners-up in the Southeastern Conference this fall. Holmen is the eighth seed in the bracket. The Vikings will be experiencing the State Tournament for the second time in the past three seasons, which accounts for their total number of appearances. They outlasted Verona in five sets 15-25, 27-25, 25-22, 19-25, 15-9 in the Onalaska Sectional Final. The Vikings are the runners-up in the Mississippi Valley Conference this year behind Division 3 qualifier Aquinas.

ABOUT THE GIRLS DIVISION 2 FIELD:  Top-seeded Catholic Memorial makes its return to State for the first time since 2017 and for the 11th time overall. The Crusaders strung together four straight appearances from 2014-17, which produced three straight State championships from 2014-16. The Crusaders have won seven championships overall. They had another run of three consecutive titles from 2009-2011. They also won the championship in 2006. Furthermore, they advanced to the final and finished runner-up in 2008. This year, the Crusaders defeated Edgewood 25-17, 23-25, 25-16, 25-14 in the final of the Portage Sectional to advance to the State semifinals. They finished in a tie for first place in the Classic Eight Conference with Arrowhead this season.  Luxemburg-Casco is the #2 seed in the bracket. The Spartans qualify for the first time since 2021, and all of their previous four appearances have come since 2017. They won three straight championships from 2019-21 and advanced to the title match in 2017, resulting in a runner-up finish. The Spartans earned their return to the Resch Center following a 25-18, 20-25, 25-20, 26-24 decision over Kewaskum in the Sheboygan South Sectional final. They shared the championship in the North Eastern Conference this season with Fox Valley Lutheran and Freedom. Third-seeded St. Thomas More will experience State for the second time and for the first time since the Cavaliers won the title in 2000. They rolled to a 25-7, 25-3, 25-18 sweep of Pius XI in the Messmer Sectional final to earn their berth in the tourney. The Cavaliers are the champions of the Metro Classic Conference this season. Fourth-seeded Shawano will appear in its sixth State Tournament and the first since 1988. All of the previous Hawks’ appearances were during the pool-play era. They lay claim to being the first girls volleyball champion in the history of the WIAA, winning the single-division title the first year the sport was sponsored in 1973. The Hawks also won the Class A crown in 1988 and finished runner-up in 1987. This year, they swept Altoona 25-23, 25-23, 25-17 in the Merrill Sectional final to advance to the State semifinals. They placed third in the Bay Conference this year.

ABOUT THE GIRLS DIVISION 3 FIELD:  Top-seeded Aquinas returns to the tournament field for the third time in program history and for the first time since the Blugolds finished runner-up in 2019. Their only other appearance resulted in a defeat in the semifinals in 2016. They rallied to edge Laconia in five sets 25-22, 19-25, 15-25, 25-22, 15-7 in the Richland Center Sectional final to earn their trek across the state to Green Bay. They are the champions of the Mississippi Valley Conference this season. Second-seeded Barron will return to the State Tournament for the first time since 1999 and for the eighth time overall. The Golden Bears’ most notable performance at State was winning the Class B title in 1992 during the pool-play format era. They are the champions of the Heart O’ North Conference this fall. They defeated Prescott 25-19, 25-17, 25-9 in the sectional final game played in Barron to return to State for the first time in a quarter century. Lake Country Lutheran was issued the #3 seed in the division. The Lightning make their fifth appearance overall and the first since 2021. They have advanced to the championship game in each of their previous experiences. They produced consecutive State titles in 2017 and 2018, and they finished runner-up in 2015 and 2021. The Lightning defeated Abundant Life Christian/St. Ambrose 25-12, 30-28, 25-15 in the Waterloo Sectional final to advance to the semifinals. They are the champions in the Midwest Classic Conference this season. Bonduel, the #4 seed, has advanced to State for the first time in program history. The Bears’ earned their berth with a 25-11, 28-26, 25-23 sweep over Cedar Grove-Belgium in the Brillion Sectional final. They finished second in the East Division of the Central Wisconsin Conference this season.

ABOUT THE GIRLS DIVISION 4 FIELD:  Manitowoc Lincoln has been issued the #1 seed  in the bracket. The Lancers will appear in their second tournament following a hard-fought 26-28, 25-20, 25-23, 21-25, 16-14 victory over Heritage Christian in the Kohler Sectional final. They fell in the semifinals in their first State experience in 2009. The Lancers claimed the title in the Red Division of the Big East Conference this year. Second-seeded Regis is back in the tournament for the first time since 2017 and for the eighth time overall. The Ramblers won the championship in 2013. They also have three runner-up finishes on their ledger, those came in Division 4 in 2003 and in Division 3 in 2004 and 2017. Regis beat Cochrane-Fountain City 25-18, 25-16, 25-14 in the sectional final played at Eau Claire North to advance to the semifinals. The Ramblers were co-champions in the Western Division of the Cloverbelt Conference with McDonell Catholic this year. Third-seeded Mineral Point defeated Fall River 25-19, 25-21, 25-12 in the final of the sectional played at Mineral Point to qualify for the first time in the school’s history. They claimed second place in the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League standings this fall. Wabeno/Laona is seeded fourth in the bracket. The Rebels are making their second appearance in the tournament. The first came in 2021 when they finished runner-up. They swept Pittsville 25-21, 25-14, 29-27 in the Crivitz Sectional final to return to the State semifinals. The Rebels are the champions of the Northern Lake Conference the season.

ABOUT THE GIRLS DIVISION 5 FIELD:  Top-seeded Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran qualifies for State with a 25-22, 25-13, 25-11 sweep over Prentice in the Bruce Sectional final. It will be the second time the Lancers have participated at State. They fell in the Division 4 semifinals in 2020. This season, the Lancers are the champions of the Dairyland Conference. Columbus Catholic has been issued the #2 seed in its first time qualifying for the State Tournament. The Dons downed Royall 25-18, 25-19, 25-23 in the Almond-Bancroft Sectional final to continue their road to the Resch Center. They are the champions in the East Division of the Cloverbelt Conference this year. Last year’s Division 4 runner-up Newman Catholic is seeded third. The Fighting Cardinals are back in the tourney field for the 14th time overall and for the second year in a row. They had a run of nine straight appearances from 2011-19. During that span, they won four straight titles in Division 4 from 2013-16. In addition to last season, they have a pair of other runner-up finishes, those coming in 2009 and 2012. They make their return to State following a 25-16, 25-11, 24-26, 25-11 win over Florence in the sectional played at Florence. The Fighting Cardinals finished third in the South Division of the Marawood Conference this fall. It’s the first time fourth-seeded Sheboygan Christian has qualified for the State Tournament. The Eagles earned their first berth with a 25-23, 13-25, 26-24, 25-12 victory over Barneveld in the Monticello Sectional final. They placed third in the Blue Division of the Big East Conference this fall.

ABOUT THE BOYS FIELD:  Top-seeded Hamilton will appear in the program’s first State Tournament. The Chargers advanced with a 25-18, 25-18, 25-16 sweep over Arrowhead in the Kettle Moraine Sectional final. They were runners-up in the Greater Metro Conference behind Marquette. Marquette is the #2 seed. The perennial State qualifier is back at State for the 23rd straight year, which also accounts for the Hilltoppers overall total. They have won 10 State titles, capturing the gold in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2021. In addition, they advanced to the championship match and finished runner-up in 2010 and again in 2016. The Hilltoppers return to the tournament field this year by ousting Brookfield East 25-20, 25-23, 25-15  in the sectional final hosted at Marquette. They are the champions of the Greater Metro Conference this fall. Defending champion Middleton is the #3 seed in the bracket. The Cardinals will be appearing in the State Tournament for the 15th time and for the fourth time in the last five seasons. They advance to the quarterfinals with a 25-21, 25-13, 25-21 win over Madison West in the sectional final held at Madison Memorial. The Cardinals were the champions of the Big Eight Conference this season. Germantown, the #4 seed, returns to the State Tournament for the first time since 2019 and for the eighth time overall. The Warhawks have advanced to the championship game twice in their previous seven appearances, winning the title in 2018 and finishing runner-up in 2013. Their return to the tourney field is a result of a three-set sweep of Homestead by the scores of 25-18, 25-21, 28-26 in the Nicolet Sectional final. The Warhawks finished third in the Greater Metro Conference this season behind #2 seed Marquette and #1 seed Hamilton. Fifth-seeded Appleton North is making its ninth overall trip to State and its second in the last three seasons. The Lightning hoisted the State championship trophy in 2012 in their only appearance in the championship match. Their return to State this season comes by virtue of outlasting Kimberly 25-19, 29-31, 26-24 15-25, 19-17 in the sectional final played at Appleton North. The Lightning placed third in the Fox Valley Association this season. Westosha Central is the #6 seed. The Falcons qualify for the first time since 2021 and for the sixth time overall. Their furthest advance at State was to the championship game in 2021, which resulted in a runner-up finish. This year, they swept Burlington 25-19, 25-21, 25-17 in the sectional final hosted by Westosha Central to return to the tournament field. They finished atop the standings in the Southern Lakes Conference this year. Seventh-seeded New Berlin Eisenhower/West returns to the tournament field for the first time since 2020 and for the seventh time overall. The United won its lone State title in 2009 and was runner-up in 2014. They produced a 17-25, 25-14, 18-25, 25-21, 15-8 victory over Franklin in the sectional final played at New Berlin Eisenhower. They were the runners-up in the Woodland Conference this season.  Eighth-seeded Kenosha Indian Trail is back in the tournament field for the fifth time and for the first time since 2021. The most notable experience at State was their advance to the semifinals in 2018. The Hawks earned their berth this season with a 25-17, 25-16, 25-19 sweep of Oak Creek in the sectional final played at South Milwaukee. They are the runners-up in the Southeast Conference this year.

RUSH TO THE RESCH:  One school qualifying for the State Girls and Boys Volleyball Tournaments in each of the five girls’ divisions and the boys’ division will receive $1,000 from the Greater Green Bay Community by selling the most pre-sale tickets for the quarterfinals (Division 1 & Boys) or semifinals (Divisions 2, 3, 4 and 5) in their respective division.

WIAA OFFICIAL VOLLEYBALL:  Molten is the official ball of the WIAA State Girls and Boys Volleyball Tournament Series. To learn more about Molten products, access the website at www.moltenusa.com.

NEED RESULTS?:  Results of the State Boys and Girls Volleyball Tournaments are available on the WIAA website (www.wiaawi.org) by accessing the boys or girls volleyball tournament page.

STATE MEET ON SOCIAL MESSAGING: Receive updates of the State Boys and Girls Volleyball Tournament on the WIAA State Tournament Twitter account @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaavb. Also like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram at wiaawi.

LICENSED STATE MERCHANDISE: Apparel sales for the 2024 WIAA Girls and Boys State Volleyball Tournaments will be available online and at the Resch Center through Fox Cities Embroidery. The online store will remain open for post-tournament orders until Nov. 17 prior to midnight. The link to the online store is: https://foxcitiesembroidery.chipply.com/wiaastatevolleyball/. The online store will remain open for post-tournament orders until Nov. 17 prior to midnight.

BELLIN ATHLETIC TRAINING:  Bellin Health Sports Medicine is the exclusive provider of licensed athletic training services for the State Boys and Girls Volleyball Tournament.

Know some top athletic performances? Seeing some great teams in action?

We can use your help, and it’s simple.  Witness some great performances? Hear about top athletes and top teams in our area?

Athlete of the Week and Team of the Week:

Nominate an athlete or team: HERE

**********************************************

Pancakes or Waffles!  We feature top area athletes with our world-renowned feature. Send us your nominations for who you’d like us to interview HERE

College Athlete Roundup! We want to recognize student-athletes from the area who are competing at the college level. Send us information on college athletes from the area with our simple form HERE

Where are they Now? We feature athletes and difference makers from the past, standouts in sports who excelled over the years and have moved on. Know of a former athlete, coach, or difference maker who we should feature? Know of a former standout competitor whose journey beyond central Wisconsin sports is one we should share? Send us information on athletes and difference makers of the past with our simple form HERE

Baked or Fried! We also feature difference makers throughout central Wisconsin: coaches, booster club leaders, administration, volunteers, you name it. Send us your nominations for who you’d like us to interview HERE

We welcome your stories! Contact us at [email protected]!

David Keech
Author: David Keech

David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]