West Allis Central Hosts Early Season Tournament
Thursday night teams from across the Milwaukee area descended upon West Allis Central for a triangular tournament. While there were more than 3 teams in the tournament, each team only played two matches. There was also a JV level of…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThursday night teams from across the Milwaukee area descended upon West Allis Central for a triangular tournament. While there were more than 3 teams in the tournament, each team only played two matches. There was also a JV level of the tournament.
Several of the teams had the first-round bye in conference play and wanted to get more time on the court. For several other teams, this was the first time they were playing this season. There was a great competitive feel in the gym but also an air of comradery as teams worked through different lineups and rotations.
SWCHA had a strong showing with their fairly young team this year. They took down Brown Deer in three sets and Milwaukee Marshall in two. Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Fransen was dynamic on the court and efficient with her plays. She is an incredibly powerful athlete who was effective in both the front and back row. Junior middle blocker Kate Fleming is strong in transition and has a fast approach. Setters Makayla Golding and Laiken Koepke moved the ball around well and kept their offense moving throughout the night. Both are young, freshman and 8th grade respectively and pretty quiet but will grow into their role as leaders on the team.
Brown Deer came out strong, taking SWCHA to three and beating Marshall in two. Senior outside Mattie Schimenz was a key hitter throughout the night and played all six rotations. Her serve receive was consistent and her hits powerful. Fellow senior Chelsea Lewis ran a 5-1 throughout the night and made smart decisions on the court. Libero Molly Pierson ran the backcourt efficiently and was a force on defense and serve receive. Summer Rasberry is a senior middle who put up a strong block and always made herself an option on offense.
West Allis Central was looking pretty strong with solid defense and a handful of nice hitters. They played well on Thursday night in their home gym. Milwaukee Hamilton, Messmer, and Marshall each had distinctive leaders on their respective teams and were working to pull together on serving and serve receive.
Serve receive and serving was the name of the game on Thursday night. Winning that serving and receiving game won matches time and time again. These teams will grow throughout the season and definitely learned a lot at this early-season tournament.