Breaking Down the WIAA D5 State Tournament

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The field for the WIAA State tournament is set. This is the first year there will be five divisions, and it was a long time coming. This is an exciting addition for girl's volleyball in the state. So, let's start this series by breaking down the first-ever D5 state tournament field!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran is the #1 seed heading into the state tournament. They are 36-4 on the season and have had an awesome post-season. They have some powerhouse offensive weapons. Gabi Radichel is a junior who has averaged 4.8 kills per set this season and leads the team in kills. She has 481 kills this season and has been hitting 0.351. Cheyenne Wales is an all-around athlete for her team. She leads in aces, digs, and receptions and is second in kills. Sophia Carstensen is incredibly talented and puts up a massive block. She is unstoppable at the net and has an impact on offense as well. Audrey Arndt is another player who puts up big numbers as a blocker and on offense. She has a massively high hitting percentage of 0.373. Leah Thompson leads the show as the setter and has over 1,000 assists this season alone. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Columbus Catholic</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Columbus Catholic has been dominant throughout the playoffs. They won their conference and have played a very competitive schedule this season. [player_tooltip player_id='249686' first='Shelby' last='Spata'] is a spark for Columbus Catholic. She is a pin who can swing across the net and has a huge vertical. She is aggressive and relentless on offense. Their middles are huge factors in their play. Abby Kibbel and Audrey Waldhauser both put up great blocks and are an awesome first line of defense at the net. Abby is also a huge offensive weapon. She has smart shots and a lot of power. Aubrey contributes consistently on offense and from the service line. Libero Delia Trader is scrappy in the back row and makes big plays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Newman Catholic</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Newman is no stranger to the State tournament. They lost a 5-set thriller last season in the D4 championship match. [player_tooltip player_id='284085' first='Camille' last='Sobolewski'] is an impact player in every aspect of the word. She averages 3.7 kills per set and leads the team in kills. She also has 239 digs and 35 aces on the season. [player_tooltip player_id='178254' first='Lily' last='Shields'] is a player who does it all for Newman. She sets and hits and is a huge defensive presence as well. [player_tooltip player_id='508690' first='Annika' last='Svennes'] and Madison Keene are both offensive weapons for Newman. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sheboygan Christian</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Sheboygan Christian team is one that has a lot of momentum coming into the state tournament. This is also a young team. Madelyn Van denend is a sophomore pin hitter and a huge contributor. She leads the team in kills and makes a big impact on defense and serve receive as well. Junior setter [player_tooltip player_id='249670' first='Lydia' last='Neeb'] has 870 assists so far this season and is a huge leader on the court. Sofia Rodriguez is a junior libero with a ton of potential. She reads the court incredibly well and has a great touch on the ball. Other key players to know for Sheboygan Christian are [player_tooltip player_id='789899' first='Samantha' last='Veldkamp'] and Gabbi Bulkow, who dominate the middle. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->