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In one of the quickest sessions of this season's State tournament, Cuba City and Grantsburg had no troubles disposing of opponents Auburndale and Laconia respectively, and will face off in the State finals Saturday afternoon at 12:30 p.m.



Cuba City 3, Auburndale 0



Box Score



Auburndale wasn't welcomed very kindly to its first ever State volleyball tournament, as the overpowering Cuba City Cubans trounced the Apaches 25-17, 25-16, 25-5 in a Division 3 State semifinal Friday afternoon.



Cuba City was led by its 5"11" Middle Hitting duo of Emily Kaiser and Katie Langmeier once again, totalling 11 and 10 kills respectively. Kaiser also picked up five total blocks as the much taller Cubans dominated at the net.



The final totals for sets one and two were closer than the game appeared, as the notorious Cuba City defense once again sparked a steady offensive output. Auburndale did enjoy brief sunshine in set three, sprinting out to a 3-0 lead to begin the set. Cuba City then scored 25 of the final 27 points thanks to a 17-0 run to dash any hopes in an Apache comeback.



No Auburndale player registered more than three kills, as the Apaches hit -.071 as a team in the sweep.



Game Ball: Emily Kaiser is one heck of an athlete, as she led the team with 11 kills, five blocks and added seven digs for Cuba City. She and fellow Middle Hitter Katie Langmeier will be tough matchups in the State finals for Grantsburg.



Grantsburg 3, Laconia 0



Box Score



Much like Cuba City did with Auburndale, Grantsburg did with Laconia as the Pirates picked up a 25-19, 25-9, 25-16 Division 3 semifinal victory Friday afternoon in Green Bay.



Grantsburg was led by All-State shoe-in Kortney Morrin's 17 kills from the Outside, while senior Outside Hitter Annie Palmquist added 15. Palmquist also added 15 kills to give her a double-double on the afternoon.



Grantsburg really took charge in set two as the Laconia offense was frustratingly out of synch due to Grantsburg's relentless attacks. Laconia hung with the Pirates for a bit in the third set, but a string of Morrin kills sealed the deal.



Laconia only registered 20 kills on the afternoon, led by junior Outside Hitter Anna Smit's 11. The Spartans hit negatives as well, with 21 errors and a -.011 hitting percentage.



Game Ball: Senior Outside Hitter Annie Palmquist played a solid game with 15 kills and 15 digs to earn her the only double-double of the session.



Finals Preview



A Division 3 Civil War of sorts will take place Friday afternoon, as Cuba City and Grantsburg have been on a collision course since the year began. The Pirates have lost just one match all season, while Cuba City has beaten nearly every program in the southwest portion of the state. Cuba City's Middle Hitters in Kaiser and Langmeier will be the team's obvious go-tos as they have been all year. For Grantsburg, they must put up a big block and cover the tips from the Middle defensively, while working quick sets to their Outside go-tos in Morrin and Palmquist to beat the Cuban block. On paper, these two teams could provide for another incredibly competitive Division 3 State final.