4 Storylines from the Crusader Cup

The Crusader Cup, the qualifier to get into the Joust, was held this weekend, with the top 3 teams qualifying for the 2026 Joust (limited only by the number of teams dropped by the Joust each year). There was excellent volleyball from start to finish - here are 5 storylines from the Crusader Cup.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Crusader Cup was bigger and better than ever.</h2>   The Crusader Cup moved to a 2-day format this year and expanded to 24 teams. It was a ton of fun having teams in the gym on Friday evening and Saturday. The 2-day format is becoming increasingly popular among the larger tournaments, and it was a great move for the Crusader Cup. The competition was fun on both days, with 3-team pools on Friday and crossover matches for the top 2 teams in each pool. Some teams separated themselves very quickly, such as Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Lutheran, Westosha, and Burlington.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Oconomowoc came HUNGRY. </h2>   Oconomowoc had one goal in mind coming into this tournament: to get back to the Joust. And they showed up every single match to prove that. They dominated from start to finish, never holding back. [player_tooltip player_id='249678' first='Marlee' last='Sivak'] was outstanding. Hitting 1,000 kills in the first match of the day on Saturday, then breaking the school record for kills the very next match. Marlee led the team in nearly every stat, including 48 kills (hitting 0.417), 29 digs, and 36 service receptions. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='435890' first='Greta' last='Schreiber'] looked outstanding on the right side, dominating on offense and with her block. Her physicality at the net had no match at the Crusader Cup, bringing in 7 blocks and 25 kills on the weekend. [player_tooltip player_id='284069' first='Lizzy' last='Kwiatkowski'] looked stronger and smarter than ever. The way she ran the offense made it look like a team at the end of the season, not in their first few matches. She was a confident leader who stepped up in the biggest way, including from the stat line with 109 assists, 17 kills, 28 digs, and 10 aces. I really loved the relentless support of the defensive specialists for Ocon. Sage Christman and [player_tooltip player_id='809274' first='Zoe' last='Meier'] played nearly every set for the Raccoons, bringing consistency to defense and serve receive, and were very aggressive with their serves.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Wisconsin Lutheran and Cedarburg went 2 & 3. </h2>   Both Wisco and Cedarburg had outstanding weekends, earning 2nd and 3rd place. For both teams, their only loss of the weekend came to Oconomowoc. Wisconsin Lutheran brought so much energy and defense to the court. They never stopped working. [player_tooltip player_id='545510' first='Addison' last='Abramowski'] was fearless in the back row. Despite being the youngest on the court for Wisco, she was a leader for the team. [player_tooltip player_id='435889' first='Gigi' last='Chasco'] ran an incredibly fast offense and out-paced most opposing blockers. She was also physical at the net and a huge defensive presence. Gigi's all-around game has only developed over the club season, and she utilized her talents perfectly throughout the tournament. Nicalai Eismann was explosive in all six rotations and was relentless in every aspect of the game. [player_tooltip player_id='522159' first='Tyler' last='Hill'] was another offensive weapon for Wisco.   Cedarburg was similarly dominant throughout the weekend. [player_tooltip player_id='510485' first='Hannah' last='Heitzkey'] was absolutely dominant, recording 46 kills and hitting 0.279. Setters [player_tooltip player_id='522163' first='Lucy' last='Pahl'] and Therese Driesbach were both incredibly effective leaders, logging nearly identical assists, aces, and digs. This is incredibly hard to come by when running a 6-2 and meant that Cedarburg is balanced no matter what rotation they are in. [player_tooltip player_id='809138' first='Peyton' last='Wollman'] dominated in the back row. She led the team with 14 aces, 52 digs, and 61 service receptions. Peyton also contributed 16 assists.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Freshmen made a statement. </h2>   Several freshmen made a notable impact at the tournament.   [player_tooltip player_id='745070' first='Avery' last='Bork'] for Oconomowoc was second in kills behind [player_tooltip player_id='249678' first='Marlee' last='Sivak'], logging 30 kills and hitting 0.369. She was a go-to hitter and offensive weapon for the Raccoons and played every match.   Port Washington's Scarlett Van Harpen was unstoppable out of the middle. On day 1 of the tournament alone, she logged 17 kills on 22 attempts with zero errors, hitting a 0.772. She only improved as the tournament went on, and she forged better connections with her setters.   Ryanne Eagon averaged 1.3 kills per set as a pin hitter for Waukesha North, which placed in the gold bracket. She was consistent and aggressive on the pin, fearlessly finding her footing at the varsity level.   [player_tooltip player_id='771608' first='Addison' last='Lempke'], a 6'1" right side for Grafton High School, could be one of the most dominant pin players in her grade. She is smart, powerful, and puts up a massive block. Her impact is felt on nearly every play.   Cadence Weidel played gritty for Greendale and made a statement at the Crusader Cup. She is a 6'1" setter/right side who had 15 assists, 5 kills, 4 aces, and 10 digs on the first day of the tournament.   Seraphina Her is a 6-rotation pin for Brown Deer, recording 10 kills, 21 digs, and 53 service receptions. She is a scrappy athlete who has crafty shots and is great in coverage.   Alyssa LaClair is a setter/right side for Kettle Moraine. She dominated the stat line for the Lasers with 22 assists and 24 digs. Alyssa is a player with huge potential.   Other 2029s of note include Emery Vogelsang (West Bend East), Karis Tucker (Union Grove), Greta Haan (Whitefish Bay), [player_tooltip player_id='783095' first='Layla' last='Mathias'] (Kettle Moraine), and Eliza Carson (Martin Luther).

The Crusader Cup, the qualifier to get into the Joust, was held this weekend, with the top 3 teams qualifying for the 2026 Joust (limited only by the number of teams dropped by the Joust each year). There was excellent volleyball from start to finish - here are 5 storylines from the Crusader Cup.