Who Stood Out during the WIAA Boys Quarterfinals

The WIAA State Tournament started today with the Boys Quarterfinals. The intensity was incredibly high as teams fought to extend their seasons a few more days. Germantown, Marquette, Catholic Memorial, and Middleton will be moving onto the semifinals of the tournament. There were some superb standout athletes from all teams during the quarterfinal round.

Jackson Bertolli - Arrowhead - Libero - 2028

Jackson was so impressive with his speed running through balls, ball control, and overall back-court leadership. He was the youngest on the team but played with maturity and high-level court awareness that got him great touches on tough balls. He was scrappy on block touches and tips and was able to dig in for hard-hit balls. Jackson was relentless in the back row and one of the most impressive liberos to take the court.

Jack Dennis - Arrowhead - Middle - 2026

Jack was a force to be reckoned with out of the middle and from the service line. At 6'10", he had a massive presence on the court and used every inch to dominate during the game. He had 5 kills on 7 attempts, hitting 0.571, and contributed 5 blocks as well. Jack also served 12 times. Though he did not register any aces, his serves consistently got Marquette out of system and helped his team earn points. Jack was an impact athlete on nearly every play, whether it counted on the stat line or not, his block touches, communication, pulling the opposing blockers with his approach, and other little things were a huge asset to Arrowheads game.

Cam Schaefer - Marquette - Setter - 2027

Cam had an incredible performance during the quarterfinal matchup against Arrowhead. He was confident and ran a fluid offense. Cam spread his offense well, leading 4 teammates to have five or more kills. What impressed me most was that he got his hands on nearly every ball, no matter how far away it was; he almost never used his platform. Cam also had two kills, one of which was a savvy setter dump on set point that Arrowhead had no response for.

Grayson Becker - Germantown - Outside Hitter - 2026

Grayson's performance was nearly unmatched during the quarterfinal round. His dominance was truly impressive from start to finish. He had 20 kills and hit .412. He also had 4 aces in Germantown's sweep of Brookfield Central. Grayson came to win and earned his team +24.5 points, nearly an entire set. His confidence, energy, and smart placement were key to the clean execution and high efficiency.

Oliver Kelley - Germantown - Libero - 2026

Oliver was a natural leader for Germantown. He was an energizer and consistently passed dime balls for his setter. Oliver went out of his way to take as many balls as possible, freeing up other players on his team to transition to offense. The amount of space he took up in the back row was impressive. Oliver had 16 digs and 2 aces with only 1 reception error on the night.

Henry Gruetzmacher - Brookfield Central - Right Side - 2026

Henry is another player who, at 6'9, had a physical presence at the net. His block timing was impeccable, and he was aggressive and relentless on offense. He had 6 kills on 9 attempts, hitting .556. When he was on the court, Germantown had to get really creative with its offense to avoid his block. Henry made momentum-changing plays for Brookfield Central and had some key kills throughout the match.

Henry Newman - Catholic Memorial - Middle - 2026

Henry's energy was electric on the court. When he got a kill or block, he amped up his entire team and the crowd. He had 12 kills and 6 blocks throughout the match. He was a critical leader and athlete for his squad. Henry was disciplined in his movement and block across the net and never missed an opportunity to transition to attack. He was hungry for the ball and wanted to dominate for the win.

Landon Kue - Appleton North - Libero - 2026

Landon was as steady as they come in the back court for Appleton North. His fundamentals were solid, and he had high-level ball control. Landon read opposing hitters well and rebounded quickly from tough hits or serves. He played smart, confident, and level-headed, precisely what you want from your backcourt leader. He had 17 digs, a handful of assists, and consistently had clean passes in serve receive.

Caden Van Buren - Middleton - Outside Hitter - 2026

Caden played an incredible match of volleyball and seemed to be just getting warmed up. He had 12 kills, hit .435, 5 aces on 21 serving attempts, 13 service receptions with no errors, 6 digs, and 3 blocks. He earned his team 18.5 points during the quarterfinal match. His dominance is undeniable and will be fun to watch as the currently undefeated Cardinals head into the semifinals.

Evan Feudner - Kenosha Indian Trail - Outside Hitter - 2026

Evan had an impact on nearly every play during the quarterfinal match. He was a go-to hitter for his own team and led the team with 6 kills. Because he was a 6-rotation outside, Evan was also a target on serve receive for his opponents. He received the ball 29 times during the match and worked to set his team up for success. Evan also contributed an ace, 3 blocks, and 10 digs for his team. He was a standout athlete among the top in the state.