By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
There is an old adage in basketball. It holds true for volleyball as well.
You can’t teach height.
The Union Grove Union High School volleyball team found that out the hard way Saturday night, as Muskego – ranked sixth in the state in the final Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association poll of the season – cruised past the Broncos 25-17, 25-18, 25-21 in the WIAA Division 1 Oak Creek sectional final.
The Warriors will be headed back to state for the sixth straight year, and the 10th time in the last 11 years. Muskego last won a state title in 2009, but head coach Karen Anderson said Saturday that this team should be in contention.
“What this team has going for it is that they all work so hard together,” said Anderson. “We have a lot of team chemistry.
“Going never gets to be old hat,” she added. “Every time it’s new. Like most teams, we want to go there and do something.”
Part of what could serve the Warriors well in Green Bay – they opened against Westosha Central Thursday night – was the general height of the team. Muskego boasts a starting lineup of 5 feet, 10 inches, 6-2, 5-10, 6-3, 5-9 and 5-10.
The tallest player on Union Grove’s roster is 5-11 Frankie Pettit, and the Broncos’ two top players – Savannah Kohlhagen and Kylie Wilks – are 5-9 and 5-7, respectively.
“Height is huge. We’re short,” said Union Grove coach Sarah Busalacchi. “We need to get some Miracle Grow.
“But I could not have asked my team to play harder.”
The height differential played a part in Muskego racing out to a 6-0 lead in set one. With Jordan Wachowiak (6-2) and Lauren Kudronowicz (5-10) in the front row, the Broncos couldn’t get an effective hitting attack going.
“They are tall,” Anderson said. “It’s a luxury I haven’t had a lot of.”
Add in 5-10 freshman outside hitter Brooke Gostomski, who had five kills in the first set, and the Broncos got no closer than five points the rest of the set. Outside hitter Kayla Bluemel finished the set with three straight aces.
In the second set, Union Grove jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but the Warriors ran off nine of the next 10 points. The Broncos never got even again, and Gostomski finished the set with another kill.
Anderson started to rotate in some of the bench in the third game, and the change in personnel – plus a revitalized UG attack – saw the Broncos go ahead 5-1.
Kohlhagen had a kill and Pettit as well to give Union Grove that lead, but Muskego started pulling it together from there. The Warriors won seven of the next eight points to take an 8-6 lead, and while the Broncos would get even on a Wilks’ kill and a Muskego error, that would be as close as they would get.
The Warriors ended the match with another block kill, and celebrated the victory with a brief court celebration and then running through a gauntlet of student section fans.
“We’re all really excited,” said senior libero Michelle Fugarino. “We need to go out and play how we’ve been playing, and anything’s possible.”
Gostomski finished with a match-high13 kills, while Bluemel added 11 kills and six aces.
But senior setter Morgan Kath had a huge match for the Warriors, putting up 28 assists, two kills and nine digs.
Fugarino added a team-high 15 digs, while Wachowiak had five and a half blocks and seven kills.
Union Grove, meanwhile, saw Kohlhagen finish with 10 kills and nine digs, while Wilks added four kills and 16 assists. Senior Cassy Goodrich had three kills and 10 digs.
Busalacchi also praised the work of libero Kelley Becker, who had a team-high 16 digs.
“She has been a standout person all year,” the coach said.”
-
-
-
-
-