Breaking Down the D2 State Qualifiers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is what I love about this D2 state qualifier field - we only have one returning team from last year, Luxemburg-Casco. All four of these teams have been ranked or received honorable mention on the WVCA Coaches Polls throughout the season and have consistently proven their worth. This is set to be an incredibly competitive state tournament. Let's break it down by team. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sauk Prairie</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sauk did work on their road to the state tournament this year, taking down last year's state champion, Catholic Memorial, in a 5-set thriller in the Sectional Finals. They also had to take down talented Edgewood and McFarland teams on their way to Green Bay. Throughout the season, Sauk Prairie has been just dominant, taking down numerous ranked or honorable mention teams regardless of their division, including Mount Horeb, Arrowhead, Catholic Memorial, Edgewood, and Westosha Central. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior [player_tooltip player_id='388467' first='Mallory' last='Hartwig'] absolutely dominates on the pin. She averages 4.8 kills per set and has 465 kills this season so far. Fellow senior setter and right side [player_tooltip player_id='504459' first='Alaina' last='Kraemer'] has also been dominant. She has 365 assists and is 2nd on the team in kills and leads the team in aces. Senior setter Leah Allen adds a lot of consistency and keeps the offense moving. [player_tooltip player_id='828296' first='Lila' last='Shadewald'] and [player_tooltip player_id='705728' first='Ella' last='Logterman'] are also essential pieces of the offense and defense for Sauk. This team is well-rounded and boasts a deep roster of athletes with extensive experience.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Grafton </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grafton has been a program on the rise for the last several years. The high school team I coach plays them very early in the season every year, and I have witnessed this program's growth firsthand. This is a team that shows incredible grit and took down New Berlin West, New Berlin Eisenhower, and Pius XI in their playoff run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grafton is led by senior pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='388454' first='Paige' last='Proefrock'], who is a 6-rotation stud. She is very well-rounded in all of her skills and leads the team in kills, service receptions, aces, and is second on the team in digs. She impacts nearly every play and is a dominant force on the court. Freshman pin [player_tooltip player_id='771608' first='Addison' last='Lempke'] is an athlete who can change the momentum of a match. Her powerhouse kills and massive blocks are key parts of Grafton's game. Junior middle blocker Grace Tilly is a threat on both offense and defense. She is hitting 0.318 this season and leads the team in blocks. The team has two junior setters, Ava Dotson and [player_tooltip player_id='537927' first='Paige' last='Arentz'], who keep the offense moving efficiently. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Waupaca</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Waupaca has been gaining momentum throughout the season. This is a team that has been improving every time they have stepped on the court and is playing its best volleyball right now. They lost to Mosinee 0-2 early in the season and swept them 3-0 in sectionals. And also lost to Luxemburg-Casco 0-2 earlier in the season and beat them 3-2 earlier in October. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior pin hitter [player_tooltip player_id='277430' first='Peyton' last='Carlson'] is averaging an incredible 6.8 kills per set and has a .418 hitting percentage. She has 672 kills this season alone and is nearly unstoppable. She is also a massive contributor from the service line, on defense, and in serve receive. Setter Taylor Kling has 967 assists so far this season and runs the offense in all six rotations. Sophomore libero [player_tooltip player_id='807242' first='Sage' last='Soto'] anchors the back row, consistently keeping the team in system as a relentless force. [player_tooltip player_id='843833' first='Molly' last='Martens'] is another key factor for Waupaca on offense, averaging 2.2 kills per set. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Luxemburg-Casco</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Luxemburg-Casco has had a competitive and consistent season. They battled with tough teams and had some impressive wins, including splitting their matches with Waupaca, Stevens Point, and Xavier. They had to battle through Seymour, Oconto Falls, Fox Valley Lutheran, and Xavier on their road to state, all highly competitive teams. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Junior pin hitter, [player_tooltip player_id='459898' first='Aubrey' last='Frey'] is averaging 5.9 kills per set. She has been a key player on this team since her freshman year and only continues to improve and impress. Aubrey has over 700 kills this season and also plays a key role in the back row and from the service line. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='510447' first='Claire' last='Schleis'] and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='522120' first='Ali' last='Jansen'] are also huge contributors for Luxemburg-Casco's offense. [player_tooltip player_id='284079' first='Alayna' last='Deprez'] is an absolute stud as a setter. She never misses a beat and gives all-out effort on every play. She wowed me at the 2024 Sizzle in Iowa and has continued to impress me every time she steps on the court. [player_tooltip player_id='891379' first='Rylan' last='Kaminski'] is an experienced libero in the back row who is confident and has a quick reaction time. She consistently performs at a high level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->