Oconomowoc wins LaPorte Sprawl.
WEST BEND – If Oconomowoc goes on to meet the goals it set for itself, it might look back at this past week as the turning point.
The Raccoons girls volleyball team scored impressive victory after impressive victory. The run started Tuesday with a five-set victory over Arrowhead, the state’s topranked team, and continued Friday and Saturday at West Bend East’s Lynn LaPorte Sprawl. Oconomowoc rolled through three more ranked teams and in the final scored a 25-17, 25-14 victory over sixth-ranked Neenah.
The two schools have become familiar with each other the past couple of seasons. Last year Neenah beat Oconomowoc in the sectional final. Two years ago, Oconomowoc beat Neenah in five sets in the state quarterfinals on the way to a state runner-up finish.
There was little drama between the two this time, though.
A run of six straight service points by junior Elle Shult broke open Game 1, which was tied, 13-13. In Game 2, Oconomowoc fell behind, 7-3, but an 11-0 run helped the team take control.
Shult, a middle hitter, had a monster final, register seven kills, three aces and four blocks. Senior outside hitter Kaitlyn Kluge added five kills and a team-high six digs. Sophomore setter Tayler Alden had 20 assists while also adding a different dimension with her ability to hit (four kills).
The victory put an exclamation point on the non-conference portion of the Raccoons’ schedule. Now they’ll focus their attention on wrapping up the Classic 8 title in their first season in the league.
They play host to Waukesha West Tuesday.
“We know where we want to go,” Raccoons coach Michelle Bruss said. “We know what our goals are for the season and games like this reiterate to us that if we keep going on the path we’re going, we’re going to hit our goals.”
Here are five takeaways from the Sprawl. BALANCE IS THE KEY:
Oconomowoc’s game is clicking at the right time and a key to that has been the ability of different players to carry the load at different times. Tuesday against Arrowhead, Alden had a big game. Kluge had the hot hand in a straight set victory over Brookfield Central in the semifinal Saturday.
Shult was the finisher in the final. In addition to the run in which she served seven straight points, she was in the middle of the team’s 11-0 run in the second game. She had a hand in six of those points by either block or kill and finished the final with an out-the-charts .700 hitting percentage. She hit .486 for the day.
“Usually my outsides are my leaders in kills,” Bruss said. “Elle dominated on the block and on the swing and on the serve today. This last match she was all over the place.”
WHO’S NO. 1?: During the first four weeks of the state coaches poll, three teams have been No. 1 in Division 1. There will likely be a new No. 1 again this week given topranked Arrowhead’s loss to Oconomowoc on Tuesday and 12th-place finish at the Sprawl.
Second-ranked Divine Savior Holy Angels, which was second last week, finished fifth but lost to Oconomowoc. Third-ranked Brookfield East finished ninth and lost to fifth-ranked Brookfield Central on Tuesday. Fourth-ranked Menomonee Falls was seventh. Oconomowoc, in case you’re wondering, received honorable mention in the ranking last week.
BOUNCE BACK: Burlington, which lost to Waterford in a Southern Lakes match Tuesday, rebounded to reach the semifinals of the gold bracket and finished third. The Demons like most teams have had their ups and downs this season. Saturday’s showing was a reminder that they should again be a factor down the stretch of the season.
“We’re a team that lives and dies with our ball control,” Demons cocoach Teri Leach said. “If we’re ball controlling, we can play with everybody here. If our ball-control goes, teams can get the best of us.” ROYAL SHOWING:
Brookfield Central is another team that showed major strides after struggling in the Homestead/ St. Thomas More Joust to open the season. The Lancers, 19th at the Joust, climbed to fourth at the Sprawl CONFERENCE PRIDE:
The Greater Metro entered the week with its top four teams ranked second through fifth. The league was solid at the Joust with three of its teams reaching the gold or silver bracket. No other league had more than one team among the top eight.