The Newman Catholic girls volleyball team celebrates a point (left) and Lily Shields (right) returns a serve during the Cardinals’ match against Wonewoc-Center in the Division 4 championship match at the WIAA State Girls Volleyball Tournament at the Resch Center in Green Bay on Saturday. (Photos by Paul Lecker/Wausau Pilot & Review)
By Paul Lecker
Wausau Pilot & Review
GREEN BAY – Wonewoc-Center reached the Division 4 state championship match after coming back from a two-set deficit to defeat Fall River in a semifinal on Friday.
On Saturday, the Wolves did it again, and this time it was Newman Catholic that was on the receiving end.
Newman Catholic won the first two sets against a struggling Wonewoc-Center squad, but like what happened in the semifinals, the Wolves flipped a switch and were nearly unstoppable over the next three to take the Division 4 state final on Saturday at the 2023 WIAA State Girls Volleyball Tournament at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
Wonewoc-Center (30-2) captures its first state title in program history with a 21-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-17, 15-8, victory. Newman Catholic end up 31-13 this season and takes home its third runner-up trophy in 13state appearances.
“We were ready to play, we were battling, we were playing the way we are used to,” Newman Catholic coach Betty Lange said. “We had a game plan and I thought we played really well against them, and today, we didn’t end up winning. It should go down to a five-set match, every championship should be that way.”
The first set was tight throughout, with Wonewoc-Center coming back from a 13-8 deficit to take an 18-17 lead after two kills each by Bryn Ertel and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay recruite Kelsey Justman.
Newman responded with a 4-0 run and were able to finish off a 25-21 win.
The Cardinals dominated the second set, rolling out to a 12-7 lead after an 8-0 run. An ace by Anna France and a service error helped Newman Catholic finish off the 25-18 win and seemingly a stranglehold on the match.
However, like Fall River found out, Wonewoc-Center was not going down quietly.
The Cardinals raced out to a 6-2 lead after two aces from Callie Sobolewski, but W-C quickly came back and from there the third set was tight.
A kill by Lily Shields put Newman Catholic on top 18-17 before the Wolves roared back with a 5-0 run and pulled away for a 25-20 victory, snagging all of the momentum. Wonewoc-Center never gave it back.
The Wolves rode the stellar setting of Jaelyn Stowe (52 assists) and the hitting of Justman (34 kills) and Bryn Ertel (17 kills, four blocks) to roll to a 25-17 win the fourth set to even things up.
Wonewoc-Center never trailed in the fifth and decisive set, jumping out to an 11-3 lead. Newman Catholic made a 5-1 run as Sobolewski had two of her team-high 19 kills, but it wasn’t enough as the Wolves were able to win the final three points to clinch the championship.
“It’s very amazing of what this group has done and how they have come from the beginning (of the season) to the end in the state championship match,” Lange said. “They are fighters and they battle, they are disciplined and really great players.”
Justman set a new Division 4 state tournament record with 69 kills in two matches, breaking the record of Newman Catholic alum Mariah Whalen, who had 67 in the Cardinals’ run to the 2014 D-4 state title.
Shields had 25 digs and 11 kills, Ashley Jankowski had 13 kills and 16 digs, Sobolewski added 21 digs, and Paige Guld had 34 assists for Newman Catholic.
“I think this was really cool,” Shields said. “We are such a tight-knit group of girls. I’m really proud of how hard we worked this season to finish at the Resch.”
2023 WIAA State Girls Volleyball Tournament
Nov. 2-4, at Resch Center, Green Bay
Thursday, Nov. 2
Division 1 Quarterfinals
No. 2 Oconomowoc (40-3) 3, No. 7 Burlington (31-10) 0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-13)
No. 3 Appleton North (33-7) 3, No. 6 Franklin (29-15) 0 (25-16, 25-11, 25-15)
No. 1 Milwaukee Divine Savior Holy Angels (45-1) 3, No. 8 River Falls (26-14) 0 (25-12, 25-6, 25-11)
No. 4 Sussex Hamilton (31-11) 3, No. 5 Waunakee (38-9) 0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-12)
Friday, Nov. 3
Division 4 Semifinals
No. 1 Wonweoc-Center (29-2) 3, No. 4 Fall River (30-11) 2 (23-25, 17-25, 25-23, 29-27, 15-7)
No. 2 Wausau Newman Catholic (31-12) 3, No. 3 Prentice (33-9) 0 (25-21, 25-10, 25-15)
Division 3 Semifinals
No. 1 Howards Grove (30-4) 3, No. 4 Neenah St. Mary Catholic (30-5) 0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-19)
No. 2 St. Croix Falls (35-2) 3, No. 3 Cuba City (30-4) 1 (23-25, 25-14, 25-16, 25-10)
Division 2 Semifinals
No. 1 Appleton Xavier (44-3) 3, No. 4 Rice Lake (28-9) 0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-19)
No. 3 McFarland (36-10) 3, No. 2 Pewaukee (37-13) 2 (18-25, 25-23, 25-23, 16-25, 18-16)
Division 1 Semifinals
No. 2 Oconomowoc (41-3) 3, No. 3 Appleton North (33-8) 1 (27-29, 25-16, 25-10, 25-21)
No. 1 Milwaukee Divine Savior Holy Angels (46-1) 3, No. 4 Sussex Hamilton (38-10) 0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-7)
Saturday, Nov. 4
Championship Matches
Division 4: No. 1 Wonewoc-Center (30-2) 3, No. 2 Wausau Newman Catholic (31-13) 2 (21-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-17, 15-8)
Division 3: No. 1 Howards Grove (30-4) vs. No. 2 St. Croix Falls (35-2), 11:30 a.m.
Division 2: No. 1 Appleton Xavier (44-3) vs. No. 3 McFarland (36-10), 2:30 p.m.
Division 1: No. 1 Milwaukee Divine Savior Holy Angels (46-1) vs. No. 2 Oconomowoc (41-3), 7:30 p.m.
