Double Header Sectional Final Provides All The Feels
Whenever there is change, there will always be grumblings. There will always be questions on whether it will work or not. This season is the first year the boys and girls will be joining forces at the state tournament with the “Road To The Resch” having joint sectional finals with the boys starting at 4:30 with the girls to follow at 7:00. For Appleton North and Kimberly, there couldn’t have been a more perfect storm at Green Bay Preble High School with the boys and girls teams both competing in what was one of the most electric atmospheres you will ever find at a high school volleyball match.
Landon Krause attacking for Kimberly.
From the first serve of the boys match to ten sets later for the match point in the girls match, the atmosphere is one that I’m not even sure you would dream about because the reality of the situation is almost unfathomable.
On the boys side, Kimberly came into the match as the number one team in the state with one of the top players not only in the state, but the region in Landon Krause. Krause, a Lewis commit, did not disappoint. Whenever North would be making a big run, there would be Krause with a wingspan like none other, and an approach touch where it looked as if he pick a penny off the top of the antennae. Combine that with a big left handed topspin blast from anywhere on the court and it was the ultimate trump card for the Papermakers.
We’re going to five. I have never been part of an atmosphere like this for high school volleyball. @AN_MensVB takes set four 25-23 over @KimberlyBoysVB pic.twitter.com/m15VfBXbd0
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) November 2, 2019
However, in set four with what looked like to be a late rally for the Makers to send them to state, North was right there to scrap out a win to send them to a fifth set. Outside hitter Andrew Woodbury was high flying on the pin with sharp cross-court angles with lots of emotion, carrying the momentum of what would be North winning set four, lighting up the whole gym with intensity.
@KimberlyBoysVB heading to the @reschcenter – great match! Kimberly fights off North 15-9 in set five pic.twitter.com/6ntn7LFMFR
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) November 2, 2019
Avery Pohlman of Appleton North serving in front of the Kimberly student section.
Kimberly would go on to win the fifth set, earning their way back to the state tournament which this year will be played 25 minutes from their high school at the Resch Center. With a small gap between the end of the boys match to the girls match there was some shuffling around, but the gym stayed full and the dramatics just continued to increase. This was as close to a state tournament atmosphere as you could imagine with student sections just feet away from the server, three local tv news stations with their cameras on the baseline, and both sides packed with fans from North and Kimberly as well as a large contingent of other area volleyball players and fans who just enjoy great volleyball.
We’re going to five again! @KimberlyGVB @anorth_vb pic.twitter.com/t1eeYLBDpL
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) November 3, 2019
The girls match between these two FVA rivals was almost a mirror image of the boys game, but Appleton North would punch their ticket to the Resch. Kimberly and Appleton North have traded turns going to the state tournament since 2013. This was the fifth time these two teams had played each other this year with North going 4-1 against the Makers. The connections between these two teams runs deep being only ten minutes from each other in the small world of volleyball between high school and club. With the final kill going to Brianna Cantrell of Appleton North it was tears on both sides just like any other sectional final. Appleton North will be sending a team of athletes who have yet to take the court on the Resch while the Kimberly Senior class has been part of two conference titles as well as two state tournament appearances played one of their best matches of the season and just fell short.
My phone died as this tweet was loading….what a night.@anorth_vb wins in five and earns a spot at the state tournament pic.twitter.com/sL3cS5zGkP
— Chris Fitzgerald (@PrepDigChris) November 3, 2019
So how did the double header of sectional finals work? In this case you really couldn’t have drawn it up any better. Pay six bucks and watch ten sets of volleyball? Not a bad night. You didn’t even have to be a fan of volleyball to enjoy an event like this. For the athletes competing, this is something that they will always remember. Not many teenagers get to compete in an atmosphere like the one in Green Bay Saturday night. How will this translate to the state tournament? To be determined, but if Saturday night was any indication, it is a sign of only good things to come.
Prep Dig will be in full force at the state tournament and will be doing social media coverage of the boys state tournament. Can’t make it to the tournament. Follow @PrepDigWI where I will be giving updates all weekend for boys and girls at @PrepDigChris on Twitter.