Milwaukee Area Division 1 Teams Dominating the Postseason

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the great sentiments around the road to the state tournament is that teams from across the state get a chance to compete and win at extremely high levels of volleyball. Powerhouse teams from every corner of the state come together in one place in an all or nothing battle for the championship. Along that road though, are some major matchups of themselves, and some Milwaukee area schools are powering through with hopes of the state championship title.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Divine Savior Holy Angels</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After a first-round bye in the postseason, DSHA has been unstoppable. They have worked their way through Menomonee Falls and Cedarburg so far and look to play Arrowhead on Saturday night. In their five-set battle against Cedarburg on Thursday night, junior <strong>Rachel Roberts</strong> had 18 kills. Senior <strong>Sara Maslowski</strong> had 19 digs and 25 service receptions. Sophomore <strong>Jacque Stegmayer</strong> also helped protect the backcourt with 17 digs and 21 service receptions. Senior setter <strong>Anna Myklebust</strong> had 29 assists. This Dasher team is extremely talented and just a powerhouse program right now. </span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Greendale High School </span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On Thursday night, Greendale’s defense was on fire. The Panthers played Oak Creek High School. They never gave up on the ball and pursued everything until it went over the net. Overall the team was consistent and level, never letting the momentum swing drastically or losing their focus in long rallies. The Panthers won the first two on Thursday, dropping the third by two points. In the fourth set, they were down by five but pulled back to win the match and move on in the tournament. Senior <strong>Kayce Litzau</strong> (Prep Dig #5, Committed to Wichita State) had 15 kills, closely followed by fellow classmate <strong>Nicole Martin</strong> who had 14. Senior <strong>Ruby Anderson</strong> contributed 10 kills, 34 service receptions, 11 digs, and led the team with 5 aces throughout the match. Nicole Martin also had 15 digs and 17 service receptions. The team racked up some major stats on Thursday night and it shows. They will face Franklin High School on Saturday night in the Sectional Championship.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Franklin High School</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It seems Franklin High School hasn’t received much coverage this season, yet they were ranked 3rd in their sectional group and have continued to win in the postseason. They knocked out Kenosha Bradford on Thursday night. Junior <strong>Holly Reinke</strong> had 10 kills. Fellow junior <strong>Ashlyn Wollmer</strong> had an amazing night with 8 kills on 10 attempts and only one error giving her a hitting percentage of 0.700. Senior <strong>Hannah Monfre</strong> had 5 aces while setter <strong>Brianna Merkel</strong> (Prep Dig Rank #15, Committed to Western Illinois) had 18 assists. Also notable is freshman setter, <strong>Jaclyn Dutkiewicz</strong> who had 17 assists on the night. The Sabers have had an extremely successful season going 6-1 in conference and 32-15 overall. </span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Waukesha West High School</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Waukesha West has gotten a lot of coverage this season, and with good reason. They have continued to dominate from summer tournaments and leagues all the way through the Sprawl Qualifier and now into the postseason. They haven’t dropped a single set yet this postseason and will challenge Mukwonago in the sectional final on Saturday.  Libero <strong>Anna Holland</strong> was instrumental in the win on Thursday against Whitefish Bay; though this team truly plays as a cohesive unit. Sophomore <strong>Alexis Boling</strong> (Prep Dig Rank #7) is the team leader in kills and blocks throughout the season. Senior setter <strong>Darragh Dixon</strong> has provided guidance and leadership to the team. This team is amazing, and definitely, one to watch through the rest of their run in the postseason as well as in the future. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Volleyball is going to dominate tomorrow night. Teams will be turning up the heat and putting everything they have out on the court. A win tomorrow means a trip to the state tournament, something that is coveted and a truly exceptional accomplishment. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>