2 Must-See Matchups in Sectional Semi-Finals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first week of the road to State was a whirlwind. Now, there are a few days of build-up before the first round of sectionals. Here are some must-see matchups that will take place on Thursday!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">River Falls vs. Hudson</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both teams had HUGE upsets to win their respective regional finals. River Falls (#6 seed) upset Chippewa Falls (#3 seed) in four sets, while Hudstion (#7 seed) upset Marshfield (#2 seed) in a 5-set thriller. River Falls and Hudson met one other time this season, and it was a 5-set thriller that went in favor of River Falls.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>River Falls is a team that is incredibly balanced in all of their skills. They also have numerous contributors on offense and defense, which makes them very versatile against a wide range of teams. Junior setter [player_tooltip player_id='641803' first='Ava' last='Peters'] runs the show and has 742 assists this season. Ava is also 3rd on the team in blocks. This team relies heavily on the involvement of their outside hitters. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='178331' first='Maddy' last='Range'] and freshman Amelie Pankonin have near-identical hitting stats with 323 and 322 kills, respectively. Both also rank in the top 3 on the team for digs, service receptions, and kills per set. Sophomore libero [player_tooltip player_id='496803' first='Olivia' last='Doerre'] has nearly 400 digs and 425 service receptions. She gets a lot of touches on the ball and does not make a lot of errors. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hudson does not let much get past them on the court. They battle hard on every point. Four players reached double-digit kills in their regional final match-up, including Addison Leach, [player_tooltip player_id='187116' first='Riley' last='Sommers'], [player_tooltip player_id='181197' first='Jana' last='Jankowski'], and Hannah Kendhammer. Addison and Riley were also key on defense and in serve receive. Chloe Lockheart was essential, taking the majority of service receptions and contributing 16 digs and five aces. [player_tooltip player_id='285234' first='Ellie' last='Burns'] runs the offense but is a key player on defense as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Brookfield East vs Menomonee Falls</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These two teams met twice this season, and each took a match. They were third and fourth in Greater Metro standings, one of the toughest conferences in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brookfield East has several offensive powerhouses. Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='221048' first='Natalie' last='Surges'] and [player_tooltip player_id='277421' first='Maggie' last='Czajka'] are both explosive and have high volleyball IQs. Maggie is currently hitting 0.369, and Natalies is at 0.278. Senior outside hitter [player_tooltip player_id='487807' first='Sophia' last='Huck'] brings experience to the court and is a huge contributor in serve receive, defense, and offense. Sophomore middle hitter [player_tooltip player_id='277425' first='Addison' last='Dooyema'] is efficient, currently hitting 0.245 and leading the team in blocks and aces. Junior setter Brooke Cerny runs a 5-1 and has nearly 600 assists this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Menomonee Falls is well-rounded and has great chemistry on the court. This is aided by the Bruns sisters - at some points, all three of them are on the court simultaneously. [player_tooltip player_id='249647' first='Cassidy' last='Bruns'], [player_tooltip player_id='249624' first='Addison' last='Bruns'], and [player_tooltip player_id='178270' first='Ellie' last='Bruns'] are all highly talented defenders. Together, it is nearly impossible to get a ball past them. [player_tooltip player_id='277426' first='Kaylee' last='Harder'] is a very talented setter and hitter whose stats speak for themselves. So far this season, she has 523 assists, 239 kills, 278 digs, 86 aces, and 52 blocks. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='275794' first='Kennedy' last='Nimmer'] and Chassidy Anderson are key for the Falls on offense. Senior setter Isabella Barkimer contributes significantly as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->