By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
The first game of a match has been the Achilles’ heel of the Burlington girls volleyball team of late.
Last week, the Lady Demons sputtered out of the gates against quality teams like DSHA and Westosha Cenral.
But there’s a reason they are ranked No. 1 in the state. They are simply a cut above just about every other team that has touched a volleyball this season, and they flexed their ever-expanding muscles last weekend.
Playing in their second “mini state tournament” in West Bend at the Lynn LaPorte Sprawl (Burlington took second at the Joust earlier this season), the Demons gained a large measure of revenge on Catholic Memorial in the semifinals and toppled DSHA in the title game to capture their first Sprawl championship since 2007.
“We were able to win the Sprawl by winning some close matches,” said Burlington co-coach Teri Leach. “There were times when we were down and the game was on the line and our girls were able to step up and make plays. With each match, we are working to continue to add more elements to our offense and spread that ball around.”
And spread it they did. Quinn Spieker led the team with 90 kills in the two-day, seven-match Mecca of state volleyball.
Others got into the act, though, as Ali Rueter (41 kills), Tay Lewis (16), Phoebe Hozeska (14) and Leah Hofer (11) made the most of their hitting opportunities.
DSHA, the No. 3 team in Division 1 according to the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association rankings, had Burlington reeling after a 25-18 win in the first game. However, the Demons rallied with 25-21 and 20-18 wins to take the title.
It was that true heart of a champion that shined through when Burlington needed it most. On Tuesday night, Spieker discussed what makes the Demons so good.
“I think what separates us from other teams is that we will not go down without a fight,” she said. “Every team won’t play their best every day, and it’s the great teams that come out on top when they push through the struggle of not being perfect. And that is what we do.”
Perfection wasn’t reached in the semifinals, either. Burlington won the first match, 25-17, but Catholic Memorial, the state’s No. 1 team in the Division 2, dominated the Demons, 25-12, in the second game.
The Demons held strong, capping the victory with a 15-13 triumph in game three. Burlington knocked off Memorial, a team that handed Burlington one of its two losses on the season (30-2).
Leach enjoys the challenge of playing the best. Rankings are great, but that won’t change the Demons’ strong level of focus.
“Well, we’re not the ones who give out the rankings,” she said. “We just are trying to stay focused on moving forward and improving each match. There are so many talented teams in the state, and we feel fortunate to be playing good ball and be competing against the best of the best.”
Burlington picked up five other wins at the Sprawl, including victories over state-ranked Kettle Moraine Lutheran. The Demons needed only straight sets in five of the seven wins.
Reba Thomsen totaled 147 assists for the tournament. Teagan Taylor had 62 digs, followed by Spieker with 35, Robyn Robers with 32 and Sarra Webb with 30.
Hozeska led the team with 14 blocks.
Lewis added 11, and Hofer tallied 9.5.
The Demons continue to face a murderer’s row with a road trip to fifth-ranked Muskego Thursday.
Then, on Tuesday, Oct. 7, Burlington hosts rival Waterford, which sits in second place in the SLC at 3-1.
Burlington def. Westosha Central, 25-27, 25-13, 25-6, 25-8
The slow start bug bit Burlington again Sept. 30 in Paddock Lake.
The defending Division 1 state runner-up Falcons are unranked, but they brought the fight to the Demons with a 27-25 first game.
Burlington almost seemed a little upset by that, as it proceeded to stomp its rival, 25-13, 25-6, 25-8, to stay perfect in the Southern Lakes Conference at 5-0.
Playing without Rueter, who was out with an illness, the Demons had Alyssa Turzenski pick up the scoring slack with 12 kills.
Spieker, who recently signed to play college volleyball at Division 1 North Carolina State (see separate story page 7), paced the club with 24 kills.
“Tonight’s win against Westosha was a great win,” Leach said. “I thought we played tense and nervous in game one, but once we settled in I felt like we executed and pressured them.”
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