Which Lutheran School Will Make October 31 a Reformation Day to Remember? A Preview of Girls Division Three Sectional Four

2008 RECAP

Sorry about the headline, but we were sorta intrigued by the fact that many of the stronger teams in this sectional are Lutheran schools and the sectional finals just so happen to fall this year on October 31. Last season, Shoreland Lutheran outlasted Sheboygan Lutheran in an epic four-set battle. Oostburg and Laconia were the other sectional semifinalists.

2009 CONTENDERS AND RANDOM NOTES

Regional A

• Laconia The Spartans will likely turn to senior Becca Vollmer, who was second-team Wisconsin Flyway last season.
• Manawa Even though they lose Ashley Braun, who was co-player of the year in the Central Wisconsin Eight, they return senior Aubree Drath, who was honorable mention all-conference.
• Markesan The Hornets graduated Marieanna Dulas, who was Trailways North all-conference last season.
• Montello The Hilltoppers, who are also in the Trailways North, were young last season and will return many from last year's roster, including senior opposite/setter Tara Klawitter, senior opposite/libero Katie Hoffman, senior outside Jessica Henning, plus juniors Paige Polk and Nici Kearns.
• Oshkosh Lourdes Senior Ali Tomczyk returns. She was first-team Trailways North all-conference last season. Junior Natalie Buyarski was honorable mention.
• Tri-County The Penguins will likely turn to senior Megan Detlor, who was first-team Central Wisconsin Ten all-conference last season.
• Weyawauga-Fremont Seniors Christie Schuck and Kelly Bucholtz were first-team Central Wisconsin Eight all-conference.
• Wild Rose We don't have any information on the Wildcats.

Regional B

• Horicon The Marshladies return senior Alee Yundt, who was second-team Wisconsin Flyway all-conference last season. Senior Shelby Scharpf was honorable mention.
• Howards Grove Seniors Ali Benning and Kasey Latharn were second-team Central Lakeshore all-conference last season.
• Lomira The Lions, who are in the Wisconsin Flyway, lost to Horicon in round one last season.
• Oakfield Junior Jami Fink was second-team Trailways North all-conference last season.
• Oostburg They return senior all-state setter Julie Raeder, who, not surprisingly, was also first-team Central Lakeshore all-conference last season. In 2008, they lost to Shoreland Lutheran in four in the sectional semifial.
• St. Mary's Springs Senior Ali Harasha was first-team Wisconsin Flyway last season.
• Sheboygan Lutheran Senior Amanda Dillaman was second-team Central Lakeshore all-conference last season. Remember the YouTube video they put together to wish Shoreland Lutheran well at state after losing to them in four in the sectional final. We sure do. One of the classiest things we've ever seen.
• Winnebago Lutheran Academy Senior Karen Woldt was first-team Wisconsin Flyway all-conference last season.

Regional C

• Brookfield Academy They graduated two Midwest Classic North all-conference players: libero Amanda Doyle and outside Rebecca Brooks.
• Cedar Grove-Belgium The Rockets feature senior Rachel Slotman, who was second-team Central Lakeshore all-conference last season. Senior Kristin Slotman was honorable mention.
• Dominican Senior middle Jessie Bazan was second-team Midwest Classic all-conference last season. And when you see that second-team designation, keep in mind that both first-team middles went to NCAA Division I schools: Burlington Catholic Central's Carol Henney to Marquette and Racine Lutheran's Rachel Aumann to DePaul.
• Heritage Christian Senior outsides Hilary Barnett and Shannon Drout were both first-team Midwest Classic all-conference last season.
• Ozaukee Senior Erin Hartnett was first-team Central Lakeshore all-conference last season and senior Brittany Schueler was honorable mention.
• Random Lake Seniors Krista Navis, Erin Swanson and Chelsea Witkowski were honorable mention Central Lakeshore all-conference last season.
• University School of Milwaukee Senior opposite Lily Heun was first-team Midwest Classic all-conference last season.

Regional D

• Kenosha Christian Life They graduated their second-team Midwest Classic South setter/libero Kelly Smith.
• Martin Luther We don't know much about this Midwest Classic South team. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
• Racine Lutheran Another team that gave eventual state qualifier a run for their money, the Crusaders went the full five sets. Returning starters include senior outside/middle Nikki Roeder, junior outside Lauren Hlvaka, junior libero Anna Sweeti and sophomore setter Rosie Aumann.
• Racine St. Catherine's Sophomores Haley Jeffcoat and Taylore Molbeck played last season as freshmen, and Jeffcoat was second-team Midwest Classic South all-conference.
• Shoreland Lutheran Senior libero Katie Mormon (435 digs in 2008) was first-team Midwest Classic North all-conference last season, while junior setter/outside Taylor Bahr (148 kills and 290 assists in 2008) was second-team. Senior middle Bekah Sittig (156 kills in 2008), senior middle Erin Kelly (71 kills in 2008) and senior outside Becky Engelbrecht (136 kills in 2008) are two other returning regulars from last season's state-qualifying team.
• The Prairie School The Hawks are also in the Midwest Classic South conference and return senior Abby Gaertig, who led the team in blocks last season.

OUR PREDICTION

Racine Lutheran over Sheboygan Lutheran in five (but only if they can eke out a five-set victory over Shoreland Lutheran two rounds earlier). And, of course, it's gonna mess up the whole Lutheran theme of this preview if a very strong Racine St. Catherine's gets through Regional D.

2009 KEY LINKS

• WVCA D3 Scores
• 2009 Rosters (Incomplete)

2009 SEASON NOTES

• Racine Lutheran won Milwaukee Riverside tournament, 9/5/09
  

Will the Vanguards Vanquish the Competition Again? A Preview of Girls Division Three Sectional Three

2008 RECAP
Wisconsin Heights defeated Cuba City in four on their way to the division three state championship. The other sectional semifinalists were Aquinas and Dodgeland.

2009 CONTENDERS AND RANDOM NOTES

Regional A

• Aquinas The Blugolds graduated four Mississippi Valley all-conference players, including two first-teamers: setter Erin Kelly and middle Kassie McGettigan. They do, however, return senior right side Kristine Schill, who made second-team all-conference last season.
• Bangor Senior Devin Tenner is one of the returning letterwinners for the Bangor Cardinals.
• Brookwood The Falcons are in the Scenic Bluffs conference. They lost to Viroqua in the first round of last season's playoffs.
  
• Luther The Knights were Coulee conference champions last season, but graduated all of their all-conference selections.
• Necedah The Cardinals are in Scenic Bluffs conference and lost in the first round of last season's playoffs.
  
• Viroqua Returning letterwinners for the Blackhawk include junior Shelly Anderson, and seniors Katelyn Sloane and Mali Collins.
• Westby Returning letterwinners for the Norsemen include Megan Fortun.

Regional B

• Belleville The Wildcats return junior Quinn Rear, who was second-team Capitol South all-conference, and Natalie Manion, who was honorable mention.
• Boscobel The Bulldogs are in the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League (SWAL) and we're still desperately trying to track down an all-conference list from last season.
  
• Fennimore The Golden Eagles are also in the SWAL.
  
• Iowa-Grant Same goes for the Panthers. Any and all help with this conference would be greatly appreciated.
  
• Lancaster The Flying Arrows graduated two first-team Southwest Wisconsin all-conference players, Ashley Henry and Danielle Kolb.
  
• New Glarus The Glarner Knights graduated three Capitol South all-conference players.
• Riverdale The Chieftains are another SWAL team. They made it to the second round of the playoffs before falling to Belleville in four.
  
• Wisconsin Heights The returning state champs graduated many outstanding players, including, among others, Truman State recruit Lauren Radix, Washburn University recruit Hillary Hughes and Minnesota-Duluth recruit Kalli Lochner. They return senior libero Anna Ruhland (435 digs), who was first-team Capitol South all-conference last season and junior Alexa Barsness (144 kills in 2008), who was second-team. Senior middle Kaia Friske had solid numbers last season, including 52 kills and 35 blocks. Look for additional contributions from sophomore setter/outside Allison Roth (79 assists in 2008), who was also on a bronze medal-winning team at the 2009 High Performance Championships last month.
  

Regional C

• Dodgeland The Trojans graduated Akron recruit Morgan Kuhn, but return juniors Brianna Schmitt and Samantha Schultz, both of whom were first-team Trailways South last season.
• Marshall The Cardinals are in the Capitol South and fell to Dodgeland in the first round of last season's playoffs.
  
• Palmyra-Eagle The Panthers return senior middle Becky Pronschinske, who was second-team Rock Valley South all-conference last season. They took Wayland Academy to four in the first round of last season's playoffs.
  
• Pardeeville The Bulldogs graduated two Trailways South all-conference players, but return a group of seniors that includes Miranda Mahlum, Sadie Sterling, Katie Holland and Jessica Standke.
  
• Waterloo Senior Mandy Rudolph was second-team Capitol South all-conference last season. Seniors Amy Loewen and Tiffany Stout were honorable mention.
• Watertown Luther Prep The Phoenix graduated first-team Capitol North all-conference player Rachel Hein. They fell to Deerfield in the first round of last season's playoffs.
  
• Wayland Academy The Big Red had three Midwest Classic Conference North all-conference players last season--and all return: Senior setter Megan Connell and senior middle Jenna Ptaschinski made first team and sophomore outside Alli Franco was honorable mention as a freshman. They made it to the second round in last season's playoffs before falling to Deerfield.
  

Regional D

• Cambridge Junior Carley Jeffery was second-team Capitol South all-conference last season. Senior Karla Frey was honorable mention.
• Cuba City Senior middle Briana Kaiser should make a contribution for the perennially strong Cubans, who are in the SWAL conference, and return nearly all of the players who defeated Wisconsin Heights in the 2007 sectional final on their way to the state championship and lost to the eventual state champion Vanguards in 2008. In addition to Kaiser, look for contributions from senior middle Danielle Matusiak, senior right side Kate Langmeier and senior outside Megan Pickle.
  
• Darlington The Redbirds are yet another SWAL conference team. They lost to Parkview in the first round of last season's playoffs.
  
• Deerfield They return senior Calli Dahl, who was second-team Trailways South all-conference last season.
  
• Mineral Point The Pointers are also in the SWAL. They advanced to the regional final last season before falling to Cuba City.
  
• Parkview Senior outside Jasmine Koch was second-team Rock Valley South all-conference last season and senior Abby Smith was honorable mention. The Vikings are in the Rock Valley South. The Vikings advanced to the second round before falling to No. 1 seed Cuba City.
  
• Turner The Trojans graduated setter Courtney Crouse, who was second-team Rock Valley South all-conference last season, but return senior Sophia Stevenson, who was honorable mention.
  

OUR PREDICTION
Wisconsin Heights over Cuba City in five (of course, with so many holes in this preview, we freely admit this prediction is nothing more than an uneducated guess).

KEY LINKS

• Coulee Region Preps
• WVCA D3 Scores
• 2009 Rosters (to come)
  

2009 SEASON NOTES

• Cuba City finished first at the Middleton Invite, 9/19/09
• Wisconsin Heights finished fifth at the Middleton Invite, 9/19/09

Does Mishicot Got What It Takes? A Preview of Girls Division Three Sectional Two

2008 RECAP

Newman Catholic defeated Mishicot in a five-set sectional final. Colby and Manawa were the other two sectional semifinalists. This year, Newman Catholic moves to division four sectional two and Manawa moves to division three sectional four. In other words, it's a wide-open sectional this season. Should be fun to watch.

2009 CONTENDERS AND RANDOM NOTES

Regional A

• Auburndale The Apaches feature senior libero Reba Berger, who was first-team Marawood South all-conference last season.
• Colby Senior Kelsey Lynn made first-team Cloverbelt East all-conference last season.
• Neillsville Three players were Cloverbelt East all-conference last season: Junior Sammi Pfeiffer was first-team, senior Tabitha Huth was second-team and senior Tia Oppelt was honorable mention.
• Pittsville The Panthers are in the Marawood South conference. They took Colby to four sets in the first round of last season's playoffs.
• Spencer This team features junior Nicki Bruce, who was second-team Cloverbelt East all-conference and sophomore Courtney Schultz, who was honorable mention last season as a freshman.
• Stanley-Boyd They'll look to seniors Tonia Paradies and Carissa Potaczek, both of whom were honorable mention Cloverbelt West all-conference.
• Stratford Seniors Heather Schneider and Aleena Cook were honorable mention Marawood South all-conference last season.
• Thorp The Cardinals are in the Cloverbelt West and took Stanley-Boyd to five sets in the first round of last season's playoffs. We'd love to find out more than that, but haven't been able to just yet.
  

Regional B

• Amherst They lose Kate Glodowski, co-player of the year in the Central Wisconsin Eight conference, but they return junior Ashlee Trzebiatowski, who was second-team all-conference and senior Jenna Pitt, who was honorable mention.
• Crandon Senior Jacee Anderson was second-team Northern Lakes all-conference for the Cardinals last season and senior Jenna Bradley was honorable mention.
• Edgar The Wildcats are in the Marawood South conference and took Newman Catholic to four in the second round of last season's playoffs.
• Iola-Scandinavia Junior Janelle Gerds was honorable mention Central Wisconsin Eight all-conference last season.
• Marathon The team that took Newman Catholic to four sets in last season's regional final lost two first-team Marawood South all-conference players to graduation, but they return junior Alexandra Boehm and senior libero Ellen Zimmel, both of whom were honorable mention.
• Pacelli Junior McKenzie Durigan was second-team Central Wisconsin Eight all-conference, while senior Chelsea Ramczyk and Laura Raflike were honorable mention.
• Rosholt The Hornets move up to division three this season after taking at trip to Resch last season in division four. The good news is they return nine players from that team, including senior outside Shannon Strehlow (97 kills in 2008) and junior opposite Chelsey Yenter (97 kills in 2008). The challenge will be replacing the 336 kills that graduated with Elizabeth Larson and the 860 assists of fellow '09 graduate Alyssa Macht.
• Three Lakes Senior Amy Werner played on the Northern Pride team that won the 17 Club division at Badger Region Championships.

Regional C

• Bonduel Senior Jennifer Woldt was first-team Central Wisconsin Eight all-conference and senior Ashley Plamann was honorable mention. They were the No. 7 regional seed in last year's playoffs and defeated the No. 2 seed Peshtigo in the first round.
• Coleman This Marinette & Oconto conference team fell to Manawa in the first round of last season's playoffs.
• Crivitz This Marinette & Oconto conference team was the No. 8 seed in this regional last season and took the No. 1 seed, Gillett, to four sets in the first round of last season's playoffs.
• Menominee Indian We need more information about this school.
• Oconto Senior Emilie Geurts was second-team Packerland all-conference last season, whil senior Katie Thompson was honorable mention.
• Peshtigo This Marinette & Oconto conference team lost to Bonduel in the first round of last season's playoffs.
• Shiocton Senior Dana Scheller was first-team Central Wisconsin Eight all-conference last season, while senior Roselynn Riehl was honorable mention.

Regional D

• Algoma Senior Lainey Hafernan, junior Kelsey Koss and junior Kayla Parkos were all honorable mention Packerland all-conference last season.
• Brillion The Lions are in the Olympian conference.
• Gibraltar Senior Elli Opitz was honorable mention Packerland all-conference last season.
• Kewaunee The Indians are in the Packerland.
• Mishicot Junior setter McKenzie Tellock and sophomore outside Krista Kadow return to this Olympian conference team that was one victory away from a date with the Resch.
• Reedsville The No. 3 seed in its regional last season, this Olympian conference lost in the regional semifinal to Oshkosh Lourdes.
  
• Roncalli The Jets were in sectional four last season and lost in the first round. Senior Kayla Kasper will likely be a go-to player for this Olympian conference team. (Note: If anyone can help us source Olympian or Marinette & Oconto all-conference lists, it'll make these previews that much better.)
  
• Sevastopol Senior Robynn Schopf was first-team Packerland all-conference last season, while senior Diane Jorgenson was second-team and junior Crystal Burke was honorable mention.

OUR PREDICTION

Mishicot over Colby in four

2009 KEY LINKS

• WVCA D3 Scores
• 2009 Rosters (to come)

2009 SEASON NOTES

• (to come)
  

Will the Pirates Be Singing "We Aaargh the Champions"? A Preview of Girls Division Three Sectional One

2008 RECAP
Grantsburg defeated Regis in four. Washburn and Melrose-Mindoro were the other sectional semifinalists.

2009 CONTENDERS AND RANDOM NOTES

Regional A

• Glenwood City All of the Hilltoppers who were Dunn-St. Croix all-conference players last season graduated.
• Grantsburg The 2008 state runner-up only lost a single match last season and they're returning more than 750 kills from that team. Junior outside Kortney Morrin (438 kills in 2008), senior middle Lauren Romanowski (121 kills and 79 blocks in 2008) and senior outside Anne Palmquist (229 kills in 2008) will again carry much of the offensive load. As far as setting goes, the Pirates appear to have run a 6-2 last season and both setters will also return: senior Larissa Wilhelm had 261 assists in 2008 and junior Emily Cole dished out 374 assists. Defensively, senior libero Sarah Wald (143 digs in 2008) will once again be counted on to get the Pirates' potent offense started. Oh yeah, did we mention that Kortney Morrin was honorable mention all-state? And that sophomore Gab Witzany was tabbed a "player to watch" last season by the Burnett County Sentinel.
  
• Prescott Senior Kelly Krech had 77 digs last season and earned honorable mention Middle Border all-conference accolades.
• Saint Croix Central Senior Sarah Hawkins made first-team Dunn-St. Croix all-conference last season, while senior Lindsay Chinander earned an honorable mention nod.
• Spring Valley The Cardinals feature first-team Dunn-St. Croix all-conference senior Aarynn Deutsch.
• Unity We don't know much about the Eagles other than the fact that honorable mention Lakeland West all-conference player Cailin Turner graduated. We'll try to find out more.
  
• Webster Senior Loreto Stange was first-team Lakeland West all-conference last season and junior Michelle Gibbs was honorable mention.
  

Regional B

• Cameron Sophomore Molly Brion was first-team Lakeland East all-conference last season as a freshman, but the other three Comets who joined her on the first team all graduated.
  
• Chequamegon This is a new school district (see comment below).
  
• Cumberland The Beavers are in the Heart O'North conference. Returning players include junior outside Natalie Gagner.
  
• Flambeau The Falcons are in the Lakeland East conference, but we don't have much information on them beyond that.
  
• Hurley Returning players from last season's roster include seniors Joanna Ajala, Brooke Vaara and Judy Nevala.
  
• Ladysmith Senior Ashley Zahurones was second-team Heart O'North all-conference last season.
• Phillips Senior Lindsey Wanish played club for Northern Pride, which won the 17 Club division at the 2009 Badger Region Championships.
• Washburn We don't have any information on the Castle Guards and it's a little embarrassing since they're a perennial force in this region. Any help would be appreciated.
  

Regional C

• Bloomer The Blackhawk will turn to senior Kayla Ashland, who was second-team Heart O'North all-conference last season. Another Bloomer player to watch is the 6'0 middle K'Trina Ruff.
  
• Boyceville One Bulldog to watch will be senior Kelsie Klaustermeier, who was honorable mention Dunn-St. Croix all-conference last season.
• Chetek Senior Alexis Schaaf was honorable mention Heart O'North all-conference last season.
• Clear Lake The Warriors are in the Lakeland West, but we don't have much information on them beyond that.
• Colfax Senior Laura Mau was second-team Dunn-St. Croix all-conference last season.
• Elk Mound Senior Emily Harrison was second-team Dunn-St. Croix all-conference last season.
• Regis No, their mascot is not the Philbins. And yes, they graduated some big-time players last season, including Brianna Plank. Fortunately, they return super-sophomore Heather Bowe, who will again be a force to be reckoned with. She was first-team Cloverbelt West all-conference last season as a freshman.
  

Regional D

• Arcadia The Raiders return senior Kelly Pronschinske, who missed last season with a knee injury. Their new coach is a former Arcadia coach who, in 2002, led the Raiders to a Coulee conference title. The following two seasons they finished in second.
  
• Blair-Taylor We don't have any information on the Wildcats. Any and all assistance is welcome and more welcome.
  
• Cadott Senior Rachel Scheidler was honorable mention Cloverbelt West all-conference for the Hornets last season.
• Fall Creek The Crickets have a quality junior in Jenny Geske, who was honorable mention Cloverbelt West all-conference last season.
• Melrose-Mindoro The Mustangs cruised through this regional before falling to Regis in a sectional semifinal. Besides that and the fact that they're in the Dairyland conference, we don't have much else on them.
  
• Osseo-Fairchild The Chieftains must have had a senior night to end all senior nights last fall, having graduated no fewer than 10 players. This season, they'll likely count on seniors Carmen Johnson and Caitlin Featherman.
• Whitehall We know the Norse are in the Dairyland conference and not much else.

OUR PREDICTION
Grantsburg over Regis in four.

2009 KEY LINKS

• We Are Grantsburg Blog
  
• WVCA D3 Scores
• 2009 Rosters (to come)

2009 SEASON NOTES

• (to come)