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A sea of red and blue packed the Resch Center Friday morning for the Division 4 State semifinal matches, as all four teams were very well represented by their fans. They got their money's worth too, as both matches went five sets with Newman Catholic and McDonell Central each pulling out thrilling victories. The two teams will play Saturday at 10 a.m. for the Division 4 State title.



Newman 3, Highland 2



Box Score



Highland was the bigger, faster and stronger defensive team Friday morning in a Division 4 semifinal--until the third set, that is. Newman overcame dropping the first two sets by scores of 16-25 and 9-25 by pulling off three straight 25-16, 25-22 and 15-11 to pull off one of the biggest comebacks in State history.



Senior Outside Hitting twins Andrea and Emily Schuster came up big in the end, totalling 17 and 16 kills respectively. Senior Middle Hitter Kaitlyn Ford also tallied 11 kills for Newman, who hit a dismal .079 despite picking up the victory.



It was truly a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde tale for Newman, which saw more hitting and blocking errors than kills in each of the first two sets. Highland was able to effectively use its size and power at the net, with junior Outside/Middle Hitter Kendall Wienkes leading the charge.



But then Newman's Outside Hitting Schuster twins took over. Playing much more headsy, Emily and Andrea were able to roll the ball over the much taller Highland block and into the gaps on the defensive backcourt. Once Highland lost the momentum, it just couldn't regain it as Newman surged to the five-set victory.



Wienkes finished with 23 kills, 11 digs and three solo blocks for Highland.



Game Ball: As they do pretty often one would assume, the Schusters get to share the game ball. A bit flustered in the first few sets, Andrea and Emily were able to refocus, play smart and lead the Cardinals into the State semifinals.



McDonell Central 3, Manitowoc Lutheran 2



Box Score



The sport of volleyball is all about creating and holding momentum. Both semifinalists in the Divsion 4 State tournament match experienced that first-hand, as McDonell swung the pendulum enough to eke out a 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 25-19, 16-14 victory Friday morning in Green Bay.



The Macks boasted a quad of double-digit kill earners, as Senior Right Side Hitter Christi Schoch led the way with 17 and sophomore Middle Hitter Jenn See added 12. Senior Outside Hitter Ashley Zumbrock and sophomore Middle Hitter Sarah Schoch added 11.



The Macks came out on fire in set one with big kills from the Outside and earned a quick first-set victory.



The Lancers responded though with solid blocking and scrappy defense in sets two and three, taking an early lead in the match.



McDonell again regained momentum, thanks to a 5-point run to end the fourth set victory.



The Macks almost lost that momentum after losing four straight match points, but a service ace finally put Manitowoc Lutheran away.



The Lancers were led by senior Middle Hitter Kelly Hauf, who earned a match-high 22 kills. Senior Right Side Hitter Brianna Robley and Outside Hitter Kelsi Daffner each added 14.



Each team's final stat totals were almost identical, but the Macks were outblocked 12.5-5.5 and outdug 80-66 despite picking up the win.



Game Ball: Junior Setter Karley Wiensch picked up a session-high 58 assists and really distributed the ball well among her hitters. Wiensch also dug 16 attacks using her strong hands, keeping important late-match rallies alive.



Finals Preview



Newman looked absolutely dead in the water after the second set Friday morning. Yet their smart play down the stretch enabled them to pick up their defense and put Highland on its heels. McDonell won the Holy War against the Lutherans, and has already beaten Newman earlier this season in an All-Catholic school tournament in Chippewa Falls. The Macks have the offensive firepower and the height to give Newman a difficult time. Yet Newman will need to use the momentum from Friday's thrilling win to overcome the heavily favored McDonell offense.