Sun Prairie Flexes Muscles at Big Eight Tournament

<p>Sun Prairie left no doubt who the top team is in the Big Eight Conference. </p> <p>On Oct. 13, the Cardinals capped off a perfect 14-0 conference mark by cruising to the Big Eight Tournament title in Madison. The Cardinals won all six matches and brushed past a solid Middleton team, 25-11, 25-19, in the title game. </p> <p>Sun Prairie coach T.J. Rantala has to feel pretty confident as her team prepares for the WIAA playoffs. Since they secured the No. 1 seed in their regional, the Cardinals received a first-round bye and won't have to play until Oct. 20. The week-long layoff should give Sun Prairie time to rest and refocus on its goal of making it to the state tournament. Despite the long break, Sun Prairie will try to maintain its momentum. </p> <p>After the Cardinals rolled through last weekend's tournament, Rantala told the Wisconsin State Journal, "it was a great day of volleyball for us." No kidding. </p> <p>Verona also had a strong outing, finishing 4-0 in Pool B. Janesville Craig went 3-1. Verona finished 8-2 in the Big Eight, while Craig was 7-2. </p> <p>While Sun Prairie is stacked with talent, senior Holly McCloskey has flown under the radar somewhat this season. McCloskey, a 6-1 middle hitter, leads the Cardinals with 82 blocks. The Cardinals will need her size, quick hands and defensive prowess to make a run to Green Bay. </p> <p>Speaking of defense, libero Morgan Jensen continues to be Sun Prairie's defensive backbone. Jensen leads the Cardinals with 370 digs and 60 service aces. </p> <p>Meanwhile, Verona opens its postseason hosting Madison West Oct. 18. Offensively, the Wildcats have a balanced attack with five players totaling 100 kills or more. Senior Sophie Alexander has 203 kills. Alexander, a 5-11 outside hitter, averages 2.4 kills per set. Junior Maddy Kelley carries a .409 hitting percentage with 65 blocks. </p> <p>On defense, junior libero Amelia Hust continues to hustle all over the court. Hust has a team-high 388 digs. A player to watch is freshman Claudia Bobb. The outside hitter has 230 digs, second-best on the team behind Hust. Look for Bobb to emerge as one of Verona's top players in the coming years. </p> <p>Craig will also open its postseason Oct. 18, hosting Elkhorn. The Cougars have a potent offense with four players totaling more than 100 kills. But there is no question who paces Craig's attack. Senior Amanda Carlson has 417 kills, averaging 4.2 per set. </p> <p>On defense, senior Skylar Flood has a team-high 182 digs, averaging nearly 2 per set. Meanwhile, another senior, Lily Stockheimer is a weapon on both sides of the ball. Stockheimer has 36 blocks and nearly 200 kills. </p> <p>With plenty of talent and solid senior leadership, all three teams could turn heads in the playoffs, but I expect Sun Prairie to advance to the state tournament. </p>