3 of Tonight’s Must-See Matchups

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tonight has a huge lineup of high-level matches. Let's take a look at some of the matches!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Homestead vs Slinger</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Homestead and Slinger have a long history. Slinger knocked Homestead out of playoffs last year. Not only is this a huge conference matchup within the North Shore Conference, but Slinger and Homestead are also in the same sectional this year. Both teams have a talented lineup of athletes. Homestead is led on offense by sophomore pin hitter Reese LaLonde, who is incredibly efficient. She is savvy and smart with her shots. [player_tooltip player_id='249633' first='Anya' last='Mikhailenko'] is a huge leader on the team. She is second on the team in kills and leads the team in aces and assists. She is also one of the top defensive players on the team. [player_tooltip player_id='522164' first='Nyla' last='Steltz'] leads the team in digs and is a relentless and gritty athlete on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Slinger's side, [player_tooltip player_id='504161' first='Malena' last='Benz'] and [player_tooltip player_id='202993' first='Miley' last='Quade'] are huge offensive weapons. Malena also puts up a massive wall of a block, and Miley is essential on defense and serve receive. Sophomore libero [player_tooltip player_id='708834' first='Brooke' last='Zoromski'] is a huge presence on the court, running down every ball and rarely getting aced. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='277423' first='Ella' last='Kohnen'] runs the show for this team. She will chase down any ball and consistently performs at a high level for her team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Notre Dame Academy vs De Pere </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a conference matchup that could cause a huge shuffle in the standings of the Fox River Classic Conference. They currently have four teams tied for first at 2-0, with NDA just behind at 1-1. NDA had a massive 3-set win over Arrowhead last weekend and will enter tonight's conference play with a new level of confidence. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='776459' first='Hadley' last='Stenavich'] has been an offensive powerhouse for the Tritons. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='388553' first='Chayse' last='Penzenstadler'] is relentless on offense as well. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='388555' first='Kailyn' last='Kline'] is an energizer and leader on the court who has an incredible court presence that can't be matched. She leads the team in aces and assists. [player_tooltip player_id='796327' first='Liv' last='Waldrop'] doesn't miss a beat on defense or serve receive. She keeps the back row running like a well-oiled machine. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>De Pere has three impact offensive weapons: [player_tooltip player_id='522338' first='Mariah' last='Jeskewitz'], [player_tooltip player_id='846262' first='Adeline' last='Dwyer'], and Erin O'Conner. Siena Arendt and Kayli Raygo are both talented setters who are huge contributors for De Pere. Libero Mallory Derenne leads the teams in digs and service receptions and is one of the top servers on the team as well. De Pere has a very balanced offense, which makes them a huge threat to any team they play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Living Word Lutheran vs Luther Prep </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a ranked matchup between two of the top Division 3 teams in the state right now. This match is about to be an absolute slugfest as some of the most powerful hitters go head-to-head. Both teams are undefeated in conference play. These two teams are also in the same Sectional Final. Living Word Lutheran is currently ranked #1 per the WVCA week #3 coaches poll. [player_tooltip player_id='388457' first='Eden' last='Roethel'] is averaging 5 kills/set and hitting 0.409 on the season. She also has an incredible 46 blocks so far this season. This is also an incredibly strong serving team with 4 athletes with 20 or more aces. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='454686' first='Emree' last='Kellerman'] is awesome to watch because she is both a highly talented defender and setter. She runs the court smoothly and efficiently. Emree has 129 digs and 454 assists this season. The defense on this team is very balanced [player_tooltip player_id='388456' first='Delaney' last='Winkelmann'] and [player_tooltip player_id='796487' first='Makenna' last='Bynum'] are massive assets in the back court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Luther Prep, [player_tooltip player_id='734119' first='Lorelei' last='Candler'] is one of their biggest impact athletes. She leads the team in kills and aces and also has 192 assists on the season. Fellow setter Lydia Vasold is massively athletic and never misses a beat on the court. She feeds her hitters and leads the team in assists, and is one of the top defenders as well. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='808580' first='Elizabeth' last='Kieselhorst'] is a force to be reckoned with. She is confident and aggressive in the back row. Her fearlessness will be a fun matchup against the LWL offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->