Sectional Showdown: Hamilton vs Arrowhead

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is going to be another absolute battle tonight as these top-ranked teams meet up in the sectional semifinal. This could easily be a state-tournament-level matchup, and it is just the unfortunate way sectional groupings can fall from year to year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's take a look at how tight these teams truly are: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hamilton is currently ranked 3rd in the state, and Arrowhead is 5th according to the most recent WVCA Coaches poll. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hamilton has a record of 34-8 and Arrowhead 29-13 on the season. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Against common opponents, Hamilton is 13-5 and Arrowhead is 12-7. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>They have played twice this season head-to-head, with each team winning once. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Both teams are incredibly balanced in every position.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hamilton</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hamilton took 2nd at state last year and has been ranked in the top 10 by the WVCA Coaches poll the entire season. They are all gas and no breaks right now as they have their eyes set on another state championship appearance. They won the Slinger Quad, New Trier Summer's End Tournament, and Muskego Tournament this season. Hamilton took 3rd in the Greater Metro Conference behind DSHA and Menomonee Falls. This talented team took down Menomonee Falls in tournament play, but fell to them in conference. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of the major players for Hamilton include senior setter [player_tooltip player_id='249644' first='Brooke' last='Baldwin'] who runs the offense in a poised and efficient manner. She is incredibly effective in every aspect of her game and has 794 assists, 249 digs, 59 aces, 131 kills, and 51 blocks this season. Three athletes are averaging over two kills per set: [player_tooltip player_id='249688' first='Sylvia' last='Wargolet'], [player_tooltip player_id='734111' first='Claire' last='Baldwin'], and [player_tooltip player_id='781698' first='Faith' last='Benson']. Claire and Faith are both freshmen who have stepped into a significant role on this team. Both middles, [player_tooltip player_id='828156' first='Aubrey' last='Hicks'] and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='545520' first='Riley' last='Gizelar'], are also huge presences in the middle on both offense and defense. Of course, you cannot talk about this team without mentioning libero [player_tooltip player_id='249651' first='Emily' last='Zgonc']. She puts on a masterclass in serve, receive, and defense every time she steps on the court, leading her team in each of these three categories in stats. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Arrowhead</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arrowhead has had a stellar season from start to finish. They have been consistently ranked in the top 10 by the WVCA Coaches poll. They took second in the Joust and the Sprawl, both behind DSHA. Arrowhead took 4th in the Classic 8 conference behind Oconomowoc, Waukesha West, and Catholic Memorial, though they were able to beat Oconomowoc in tournament play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Some of the major players for Arrowhead include [player_tooltip player_id='277427' first='Claire' last='Wyma'], [player_tooltip player_id='277436' first='Leila' last='Arens'], and [player_tooltip player_id='486283' first='Natalie' last='Krogwold'], who are all averaging 2.5 kills per set or more. Junior middle blocker [player_tooltip player_id='810252' first='Addie' last='Merck'] and sophomore Zofia Zasprak are hitting 0.345 and 0.311, respectively, and have over 50 blocks each on the season. [player_tooltip player_id='277424' first='Siena' last='MacCudden'] anchors the back row. She has an incredibly high volleyball IQ and is relentless on the court. Setter [player_tooltip player_id='509343' first='Taylor' last='Wold'] is as gritty as they come and can make any play work for her team. She is defensively strong and highly competitive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Takeaways</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't know how tonight will play out, but I bet it will be an absolute battle that will come down to a few points. These teams are battle-ready and feature some of the most experienced athletes in the state, who will take to the court tonight in the regional semifinal matchup. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->