Wausau Pilot & Reveiw

GREEN BAY – The 2023 WIAA State Boys & Girls Volleyball Tournaments will be held Thursday, Nov. 2, through Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Resch Center.

Boys and girls Division 1 quarterfinals will be held Thursday, with semifinals in all four girls divisions and the boys tournament on Friday, and championship matches in all four girls divisions and the boys tournament on Saturday.

The quarterfinals and semifinals of the WIAA State Boys & Girls Volleyball Tournaments will be streamed live on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS?Network on a consumer subscription basis. The live broadcast of the finals on Saturday will be aired on the WIAA State Television Network of stations, which includes WAOW 9.2 (Spectrum 14/610, TDS 35/10135, DISH 10 and Solarus 10). The finals will also be streamed on WAOW.com and the News 9 WAOW app at no cost.

Tickets for the tournament are $11 per session at the gate or $13 if purchased online at https://www.wiaawi.org/Tickets#4269711-volleyball.

Milwaukee Divine Savior Holy Angels (Division 1), Appleton Xavier (Division 2) and Howards Grove (Division 3) all return to defend their girls state titles won in 2022, and all are No. 1 seeds in this year’s field.

Notebook courtesy of the WIAA

ABOUT THE GIRLS DIVISION 1 FIELD: Defending champion Divine Savior Holy Angels was issued the top seed in the bracket. The Dashers qualify for the second straight season and for the 12th time overall. In addition to winning the championship last season, they also captured the crown in 2001 and added back-to-back titles in 2014-15. They also advanced to the title match and finished runner-up in 2012. Prior to joining the WIAA, the Dashers won WISAA titles in 1972 and 1985. This season, they defeated Menomonee Falls 25-20, 25-14, 25-18 in the sectional final hosted by DSHA to earn their opportunity to win back-to-back championships. The Dashers were crowned champions in the Greater Metro Conference this fall. Last year’s runner-up Oconomowoc is the #2 seed in the bracket. The Raccoons return to the State Tournament for the seventh time in the past nine years, which accounts for the Raccoons overall number of experiences at State. They won their lone championship in 2021. The Raccoons also advanced to the championship match in 2015 and back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019, finishing runner-up on each of these three occasions. This season, the Raccoons defeated Arrowhead 23-25, 30-28, 25-15, 25-19 in the sectional final held at Beaver Dam to continue their quest for another title. They are the champions in the Classic Eight Conference this season. Appleton North is the #3 seed in the bracket. The Lightning will be appearing in their ninth State Tournament overall and essentially their fifth in a row, including the alternate season when they won the championship. They qualify this season after downing Bay Port 25-17, 25-21, 25-19 in the sectional final played at Kimberly. The Lightning finished atop the Fox Valley Association standings this fall. Hamilton is seeded fourth in the bracket. They won the championship the last time they qualified in 2020 with a reduced field of teams because of the COVID-19 mitigation accommodations. The Chargers’ first State experience came in 1986 when they qualified in Class A. That experience resulted in a 3-5 record in a pool play format. This season, they advance to the State semifinals following a hard-fought 20-25, 25-16, 24-22, 20-25, 15-12 win over Manitowoc Lincoln in the Neenah Sectional final. The Chargers placed second in the Greater Metro Conference standings this season behind Divine Savior Holy Angels. Waunakee is the fifth seed in the bracket. The Warriors will experience the State Tournament for the ninth time and for the first time since 2017. They have won four championships, including back-to-back Class B championships in 1985-86 and another in 1989. They added a Division 2 title in 1991 and were runners-up in Division 2 in 1990 and 1992. They downed Holmen 26-24, 26-24, 25-18 in the Monona Grove Sectional finals to advance to the State quarterfinals this season. The Warriors were the champions in the Large Division of the Badger Conference this fall. Sixth-seeded Franklin will appear in its second State Tournament. The only other experience for the Sabers was back in 1995 when the tourney featured a pool play format. They failed to advance out of their pool that season. The Sabers’ return to State comes virtue of a 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-17 win over Oak Creek in the Westosha Central Sectional final. They placed second in the Southeast Conference standings this season. Perennial qualifier Burlington, the seventh seed, qualifies for the 10th straight season and for the 15th time overall. The Demons have won four State championships with a pair of back-to-back titles. The first two came in 2011-12 and the most recent in 2017-18. They have also had a pair of runner-up finishes, coming in 2016 and 2020. The Demons return to the tourney field following a 26-24, 23-25, 25-23, 25-22 victory over Mukwonago in the sectional final held at Elkhorn. They were the champions in the Southern Lakes Conference this season. Eighth-seeded River Falls qualifies for the seventh time in the last eight seasons, which accounts for the total number of appearances for the Wildcats. The most notable of their previous experiences was a runner-up finish in 2017. The Wildcats are back in the tourney field after a 27-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-22 win over Eau Claire Memorial in the sectional final played at Eau Claire North. They placed third in the Big Rivers Conference this fall.

ABOUT THE GIRLS DIVISION 2 FIELD: Defending champion Xavier received the #1 seed. The Hawks are making their sixth State appearance. In addition to their State championship, they were also runners-up in 2006 and 2009. This season, they swept Kettle Moraine Lutheran 25-15, 25-16, 25-13 in the Wrightstown Sectional final to earn their opportunity to earn back-to-back titles. They are the champions in the Bay Conference this season. Pewaukee, the #2 seed, qualifies for the State Tournament for the second time in the past three seasons and for the seventh time overall. The Pirates’ first five experiences were during the pool-play format era. The Pirates won back-to-back Class B championships in 1974-75 and placed runners-up in 1976. This season, they swept St. Thomas More 25-20, 25-12, 25-21 in the Lakeside Lutheran Sectional final to advance to the State semifinals. They were the champions in the West Division of the Woodland Conference during the regular season. Third-seeded McFarland returns to State for the fifth time and essentially for the fourth time in the past five seasons, including the alternate season played in spring of 2021 because of COVID-19. The Spartans’ most notable accomplishments at State were runner-up finishes in that alternate season and in 2019. This fall, they are the champions in the Small Division of the Badger Conference, and the Spartans downed Sauk Prairie 25-20, 23-25, 26-24, 28-26 to win the sectional final match played at Dodgeville. Rice Lake is the #4 seed in the bracket. The Warriors are making their third appearance at State and their first since 2008, which resulted in a loss in the semifinals. Their first experience was in Class A in 1979 when they recorded a 5-9 record in the pool-play. The Warriors defeated Waupaca in four sets 25-20, 25-12, 18-25, 25-16 in the Merrill Sectional final to punch their ticket to the Resch Center. They placed fifth in the Big Rivers Conference during the regular-season.

ABOUT THE GIRLS DIVISION 3 FIELD: Four-time defending champion Howards Grove was issued the top seed in the bracket. The Tigers are making their eighth appearance at State overall. They have won championships in all but one of their previous experiences. In addition to the titles the past four seasons, the Tigers captured the Division 3 crown in 2016 and the Class C championship in 1976 during the pool-play era. The Tigers defeated Lake Country Lutheran 25-17, 25-17, 18-25, 25-21 in the final of the Oostburg Sectional to continue their pursuit of their fifth straight championship. They are the champions of the Blue Division of the Big East Conference this fall. Last season’s runner-up St. Croix Falls is the second seed making its third State appearance, all coming in the last four seasons. The Saints also qualified and lost in the Division 2 semifinals in 2020. They captured the Heart O’ North Conference crown this fall, and then secured their berth in the final four with a 25-14, 25-22, 25-20 sweep over McDonell Catholic in the sectional final played at Barron. Third-seeded Cuba City makes its 12th overall appearance and its first since 2012. The Cubans have won three State titles. Those came in 1990, 1992 and 2007. They have also finished runner-up three times, in 1988, 1991 and 2009. They defeated Aquinas 25-21, 25-21, 26-24 in the Westby Sectional final to return to the State semifinals. The Cubans placed second in the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League this season. St. Mary Catholic will experience the State Tournament for the first time in the program’s history following its 21-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-12 conquest of?Marshall in the final of the Hartford Union Sectional. The Zephyrs finished first in the Red Division of the Big East Conference.

ABOUT THE GIRLS DIVISION 4 FIELD: Top-seeded Wonewoc-Center returns to State for the third consecutive season after making their first-ever appearance in 2021. The Wolves are attempting to advance beyond the semifinals for the first time. They earned their return to Green Bay with a 25-15, 25-17, 25-21 win over Columbus Catholic in the sectional final hosted by Cashton. They are the runners-up in the Scenic Bluffs Conference this season. Second-seeded Newman Catholic is back in the tourney field for the 13th time overall and for the first time since 2019. The Fighting Cardinals had a run of nine straight appearances from 2011-19. During that span, they won four straight titles from 2013-16. In addition, they have a pair of runner-up finishes as well, those coming in 2009 and 2012. They make their return to State following a 25-21, 25-18, 25-27, 25-21 win over Valley Christian (Oshkosh)?in the Suring Sectional final. The Fighting Cardinals finished runners-up in the South Division of the Marawood Conference this fall. Third-seeded Prentice qualifies for the second time in program history with its initial experience coming in 2020. That appearance resulted in a loss in the semifinals. The Buccaneers defeated Frederic 25-10, 25-15, 25-17 in the Bruce Sectional final to advance to the tourney field this season. They placed second in the North Division of the Marawood Conference in 2023. Fall River is the fourth seeded making its first-ever appearance in the State Tournament. The Pirates earned their initial berth in the tourney by taking down Barneveld 20-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-19 in the Johnson Creek Sectional final. They are the champions in the West Division of the Trailways Conference this year.

ABOUT THE BOYS FIELD: Top-seeded Middleton will be appearing in the State Tournament for the 14th time and for the third time in the last four seasons. The Cardinals’ most notable performance in the tournament was advancing to the semifinals in 2007 and 2008. This season, they advance to the quarterfinals with a 25-14, 25-17, 25-20 win over Madison Memorial in the sectional final held at Middleton. The Cardinals were the champions of the Big Eight Conference this season. Last year’s runner-up Arrowhead has been issued the second seed in the bracket. The Warhawks return to the tournament field for the fourth straight season and for the 10th time overall. Their most notable outcome at the State Tournament was the runner-up finish last season and in 2001. They defeated Hamilton 25-21, 17-25, 25-21, 26-24 in the final of the sectional held at Hartford Union to earn another berth in the State bracket. The Warhawks were co-champions in the Classic Eight Conference with Waukesha South/Waukesha North this season. Two-time defending champion Marquette is the #3 seed. The perennial State qualifier is back at State for the 22nd straight year, which also accounts for the Hilltoppers overall total. They have won 10 State titles, capturing the gold in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2021. In addition, they advanced to the championship match and finished runner-up in 2010 and again in 2016. The Hilltoppers return to the tournament field this year by defeating Wauwatosa East 18-25, 28-26, 25-19, 25-14 in the sectional final hosted at Wauwatosa East. They are the champions of the Greater Metro Conference this fall. Fourth-seeded Kimberly qualifies for the fourth time and for the first time since the 2020-21 alternate season. The Papermakers have won two State titles. The first came in 2019 and the second came in the alternate season when the State Tournament consisted of just the championship final. The Papermakers also posted a runner-up finish in 2018. This season, they placed runners-up in the Fox Valley Association behind Appleton North. The Papermakers advanced to the quarterfinals with a 25-21, 25-27, 26-28, 25-22, 15-7 victory over Appleton North in the sectional final held at Kimberly. The fifth-seeded Waukesha South/Waukesha North co-op will appear in its first State Tournament. Prior to the forming of the co-op, Waukesha South participated in the State Tournament five times, and Waukesha North qualified once. The Blackshirts won the State Tournament in 1981, and the Northstars finished runner-up during the pool-play era in 1978. Before the districted became multiple schools, Waukesha won nine titles and finished runner-up three times. This season, the Fusion outlasted Catholic Memorial 21-25, 25-23, 25-20, 20-25, 15-12 in the Waukesha West Sectional final to earn their initial berth in the tourney. They tied Arrowhead for first place in the Classic Eight Conference. The South Milwaukee/Milwaukee Reagan/St. Thomas More co-op is the #6 seed. The United makes their first appearance as a co-op in the State Tournament. As a stand-alone program, South Milwaukee made eight State appearances, including a championship in 1974 and runner-up finishes in 1947, 1952, 1961, 1962 and 1969. The United swept Franklin 25-22, 25-20, 31-29 in the sectional final hosted by South Milwaukee to advance to the State quarterfinals. They were the champions in the Woodland Conference this fall. Seventh-seeded Kettle Moraine returns to State for the fourth time in the past five seasons and for the ninth time overall. In addition to winning the championship in 2020, the Lasers were runners-up in 2015. This season, they eliminated Westosha Central with a 25-16, 28-26, 25-15 win in the final of the Westosha Central Sectional to advance to the quarterfinals. The Lasers placed fifth in the Classic Eight Conference. Union Grove, the eighth seed, qualifies for the second year in a row after making its first-ever appearance last season, which resulted in a loss in the quarterfinals. The Broncos return to the quarterfinals comes virtue of a comeback 25-19, 23-25, 19-25, 25-22, 15-10 victory over Kenosha Indian Trail in the sectional final played at Kenosha Indian Trail. The Broncos finished third in the Southern Lakes Conference this fall.

Here is a look at the state tournament schedules:

2023 WIAA State Girls Volleyball Tournament
Nov. 2-4, at Resch Center, Green Bay
Thursday, Nov. 2
Division 1 Quarterfinals
No. 2 Oconomowoc (39-3) vs. No. 7 Burlington (31-9), 1 p.m.
No. 3 Appleton North (32-7) vs. No. 6 Franklin (29-14), 1 p.m.
No. 1 Milwaukee Divine Savior Holy Angels (44-1) vs. No. 8 River Falls (26-13), 7 p.m.
No. 4 Sussex Hamilton (30-11) vs. No. 5 Waunakee (38-8), 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 3
Division 4 Semifinals
No. 1 Wonweoc-Center (28-2) vs. No. 4 Fall River (30-10), 9 a.m.
No. 2 Wausau Newman Catholic (30-12) vs. No. 3 Prentice (33-8), 9 a.m.
Division 3 Semifinals
No. 1 Howards Grove (29-4) vs. No. 4 Neenah St. Mary Catholic (30-4), 11:30 a.m.
No. 2 St. Croix Falls (34-2) vs. No. 3 Cuba City (30-3), 11:30 a.m.
Division 2 Semifinals
No. 1 Appleton Xavier (43-3) vs. No. 4 Rice Lake (28-8), 2 p.m.
No. 2 Pewaukee (37-12) vs. No. 3 McFarland (35-10), 2 p.m.
Division 1 Semifinals
Oconomowoc-Burlington winner vs. Appleton North-Franklin winner, 7:30 p.m.
Milwaukee Divine Savior Holy Angels-River Falls winner vs. Sussex Hamilton-Waunakee winner, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 4
Championship Matches
Division 4, 9 a.m.
Division 3, 11:30 a.m.
Division 2, 2:30 p.m.
Division 1, 7:30 p.m.

2023 WIAA State Boys Volleyball Tournament
Nov. 2-4, at Resch Center, Green Bay
Thursday, Nov. 2
Quarterfinals
No. 3 Milwaukee Marquette (28-6) vs. No. 6 South Milwaukee (21-7), 10 a.m.
No. 2 Hartland Arrowhead (37-5) vs. No. 7 Kettle Moraine (19-6), 10 a.m.
No. 1 Middleton (29-3) vs. No. 8 Union Grove (19-14), 4 p.m.
No. 4 Kimberly (33-6) vs. No. 5 Waukesha South/North (34-7), 4 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 3
Semifinals
Milwaukee Marquette-South Milwaukee winner vs. Hartland Arrowhead-Kettle Moraine winner, 5 p.m.
Middleton-Union Grove winner vs. Kimberly-Waukesha South/North winner, 5 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 4
Championship, 5 p.m.