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Upset City

Very few major upsets occurred in the regional quarterfinals for Divisions 2 through 4 as seeds held true for the most part. Division 3 Dodgeville, which was a #2 seed, was upset in four sets by #7 Poynette, while five #3 seeds also dropped to respective #6 seeds. Following is a list of those teams who did pull off an upset in the first round, surviving until Thursday’s semifinals.

Division 2
#6 Clintonville def. #3 Shawano, 3-1: 25-21, 24-26, 25-17, 25-18
#6 Winneconne def. #3 North Fond du Lac, 3-0: 26-24, 25-19, 25-19
#6 Whitewater def. #3 Lake Mills, 3-1: 25-21, 20-25, 25-22, 25-18
#5 Ripon def. #4 Wautoma, 3-2: 22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 12-25, 15-10
Division 3
#7 Poynette def. #2 Dodgeville, 3-1: 25-19, 12-25, 25-23, 26-24
#6 Brillion def. #3 Manawa, 3-0: 25-23, 25-17, 25-20
#5 Osseo-Fairchild def. #4 Melrose-Mindoro, 3-1: 25-18, 16-25, 25-17, 25-23
#5 Hurley def. #4 Chequamegon, 3-2: 25-14, 23-25, 25-15, 17-25, 15-10
#5 Peshtigo def. #4 Gillett, 3-0: 25-19, 25-20, 25-12
#5 Shiocton def. #4 Mishicot, 3-0: 25-17, 25-23, 25-15
#5 Luther def. #4 Necedah, 3-0: 25-21, 25-18, 25-18
#5 Belleville def. #4 Iowa-Grant, 3-2: 22-25, 23-25, 25-18, 12-25, 15-13
#5 Kenosha St. Joseph def. #4 Palmyra-Eagle, 3-2: 20-25, 25-11, 19-25, 25-23, 15-6
Division 4
#6 Alma def. #3 Pepin, 3-2: 21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-11
#5 Frederic def. #4 Lake Holcombe, 3-2: 25-12, 25-17, 22-25, 20-25, 15-5
#5 Elcho def. #4 Gresham Community, 3-1: 25-20, 25-17, 23-25, 25-23
#5 Laona def. #4 Niagara, 3-1: 12-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-23
#5 Eastbrook Academy def. #4 University Lake School, 3-1: 23-25, 25-13, 25-21, 25-20

Regional of Death holds true

All four top seeds made it through to the regional semifinals, some easier than others. As released in our post earlier this week, we mentioned that Regional C in Division 2 Sectional 4 featured five teams receiving votes in the latest WVCA coaches’ poll, four ranked squads, four conference champions and seven teams with over .500 overall records.

While top seeded (and top-ranked) Catholic Memorial and #2 (and No. 2) East Troy breezed through their quarterfinal matchups in sweeping fashion, the middle pair got a bit of a scare. Wisconsin Lutheran, the #3-seed and ranked No. 10, faced a 2-1 deficit before rallying to defeat New Berlin West in five sets. Likewise, #4 Racine St. Catherine’s—last year’s undefeated Division 3 champion and current No. 8 ranked team—faced a 2-1 deficit before defeating New Berlin Eisenhower 25-3 and 15-6 in the final two sets to advance. Those results created the following matchups:

#1 Catholic Memorial (No. 1) vs. #4 Racine St. Catherine’s (No. 8)
#2 East Troy (No. 2) vs. #3 Wisconsin Lutheran (No. 10)

The winners advance to play in Saturday’s war of a regional final at the highest-seeded school remaining.

Regional Semifinal intriguing matchups

Division 1

#9 Antigo @ #8 Superior – Though the Spartans, first-ever champions of the Lake Superior Conference, might have gotten a bit slighted at the seeding meeting featuring mostly Big Rivers and Wisconsin Valley teams. Look for Allyson Keute and Jessica Lindstrom to take full advantage of Antigo’s 5-hour trip northward for the 6 p.m. start.

#10 Janesville Craig @ #7 Stoughton – Craig finished in the bottom half of the Big Eight race, but will take on a Stoughton squad that has ridden a bit of a rollercoaster all season. The Vikings are rightfully favored though should the right Stoughton team show up, as it has beaten Madison Edgewood and Fort Atkinson in Badger South play. The only league team they couldn’t solve was Milton, who is the #5 seed in the same sectional.

#10 Pulaski @ #7 Hortonville – Hortonville may have finished just 3-5 in Bay Conference play, but the Polar Bears earned a host seed in D1. Pulaski went 4-7 in the top-heavy Fox River Classic Conference, doubling last season’s league win total. The winner moves on to likely battle Stevens Point, a definite sectional contender.

#9 Kettle Moraine @ #8 Oconomowoc – The Coons and Lasers were actually in similar positions this season, finishing just outside the top tiers of respective conferences. Oconomowoc finished fifth in the very strong Wisconsin Little Ten Conference, finishing 5-9 in league play. Kettle Moraine went 2-5 in the ridiculously stacked Classic Eight Conference.

#9 Waunakee @ #8 Madison La Follette – La Follette enters this post season coming off its best year in school history. Yet without the aid of Wisconsin’s two-time Gatorade Player of the Year, the Lancers have had some re-piecing to do. They will take on another program rebuilder Waunakee, which fell to fourth place in the Badger North this season after consecutive first and second place finishes.

#9 Milwaukee Riverside @ #8 Milwaukee King – City Conference rivals clash one more time as the Gold champion Generals host third-place Riverside Thursday. King won the initial battle with relative ease, sweeping the Tigers at the end of September. Though Riverside does have program history on its side, it will need to dig deep to pull off the first round upset.

#10 Beaver Dam @ #7 Appleton East – The Golden Beavers are the second team from the Wisconsin Little Ten to battle for seeds across other conferences. Beaver Dam will battle Appleton East, which finished seventh in the very competitive Fox Valley Association. Like Oconomowoc and Kettle Moraine, this pair will battle for conference bragging rights among its non-ranked members.

#12 West Allis Central @ #5 Greenfield – This interesting matchup pits Woodland Black runner-up Greenfield against sixth-place Greater Metro squad West Allis Central. The Hustlin Hawks will need to shut down the Bulldogs’ Mehryn Kraker, who leads the team in kills, while looking for a big match from their own Franny Wenninger.

Division 2

#4 Somerset @ #1 Altoona - Altoona may play in a conference with much smaller schools enrollment-wise, but the Rails get one of the best season-long tests from those Cloverbelt West opponents as evidenced by their #1 seed. Somerset was a co-champion of the Middle Border Conference and beat co-champ Baldwin-Woodville in the regional quarterfinal. The Spartans have 10 of 15 to end the season and that momentum will be integral to winning on the road Thursday.

#3 Bloomer @ #2 Barron - The Blackhawks and Golden Bears have quickly developed quite a rivalry this season--Bloomer remained unbeaten through the Heart O'North dual conference season, but a set of late-season losses in league tournament action handed Barron the 2011 title. In the rubber match, the pair will square off for a berth in the regional final.

#4 Freedom @ #1 Oconto Falls - In a league very top heavy, Freedom's fifth place finish in the Eastern Valley is nothing to be ashamed about, as the Irish amassed an impressive 26-12 overall mark as well. Oconto Falls finished runner-up in the equally strong Bay Conference, and behind the arm of McKenna Larson is looking for its second straight sectional berth and first trip to the Resch Center since 2007.

#3 Xavier @ #2 Little Chute - These Eastern Valley rivals will square off yet again, though this time in a regional semifinal whereas they usually meet up much later in the tournament path. Little Chute shared the EVC with surprise Berlin this season, forcing Xavier into a tie for third with Fox Valley Lutheran. History says this one should be a war as Little Chute has won two of the teams' three meetings this season.

#3 Reedsburg @ #2 River Valley - Reedsburg fell to fifth in the Badger North, despite a 6-6 conference mark. Though the Beavers did knock off champ Sauk Prairie and is on an eight-match win streak heading into its semifinal matchup. River Valley had a comparatively down year, finishing below .500 in league play for the first time in a long time. Yet the Blackhawks are out to finish this season on a high note by qualifying for its fourth straight regional final.

#4 Madison Edgewood @ #1 McFarland - Edgewood is not the same team that cruised to the state championship match last season, but with enough playoff experience and a very strong volleyball program history, the Crusaders should never be taken lightly. Upstart McFarland finished runner-up to East Troy in the Rock Valley North, and will look to keep its stellar season alive as the top seeded hosts.

#4 Racine St. Catherine's @ #1 Catholic Memorial - One defending state champion will go down Thursday night, but all signs say it won't be without a good fight. Catholic Memorial has been the top ranked team in D2 all season and rightfully so, but St. Catherine's Jeffcoat sisters are hoping to pull off the major upset--perhaps the greatest in program history.

#3 Wisconsin Lutheran @ #2 East Troy - The Trojans have been No. 2 for the entire duration and would love nothing more than to take out defending champion CMH in a regional final war. Yet they will need to get past a very scrappy Wisconsin Lutheran squad that came from behind Tuesday to surge into this semifinal matchup.

Division 3

#4 St. Croix Falls @ #1 Grantsburg – The Pirates suffered their first loss of the season against Cameron at the Comets’ invite last weekend, but that loss might not be such a bad thing. Thursday the three decades’ worth of conference championships will come in handy as Grantsburg will tussle with Lakeland West rival St. Croix Falls—a five-set winner over Webster Tuesday.

#3 Mondovi @ #2 Fall Creek – The Buffaloes were the only team to go undefeated in Dunn-St. Croix play, but in a very strong regional managed the #3 seed. The hard-hitting trio of Ally Thompson, Jade Seipel and Amber Rud will need their “A” games to knock out the Crickets—third place in the rough Cloverbelt West—on the road.

#3 Athens @ #2 Edgar – Edgar’s win over Auburndale in mid-September marked a change in the Marawood South breeze, and a late-season loss to Marathon proved the difference between the Wildcats and a league title. Regardless, North division champion Athens is looking for a bit of revenge after being swept by the ‘Cats in a non-conference battle this month.

#3 Menominee Indian @ #2 Bonduel – Menominee Indian played bridesmaid to Central Wisconsin Ten champion Tigerton this season, but the Eagles are out to make a little noise in Division 3 with no Tigers in sight. Menominee Indian will travel to Bonduel, which finished tied for fourth in the larger CWC Eight division, in what could be a tossup.

#3 Lancaster @ #2 Fennimore – Lancaster was one of three teams to finish 8-2 in the Southwest Wisconsin Conference, but will drop to Division 3 for a very tough matchup with SWAL co-champ Fennimore. One could fully expect this one to go the duration as the battle of the mascots with adjectives should be an aero-war.

#3 Cuba City @ #2 Southwestern – Southwestern has two losses on the year—one to Wisconsin Heights at the Vanguards’ Invite, and the other in a five-set thriller at co-SWAL champion Fennimore. The Wildcats this season would be a heavy Division 4 state favorite, but to reach the Resch Center they will need to take down historical contender Cuba City Thursday.

#3 Howards Grove @ #2 Manitowoc Lutheran – Howards Grove came within a handful of points from winning the Central Lakeshore Conference title, but fell to Oostburg in five sets. It’s consolation prize—a date in the regional semifinal with Olympian Conference champion Manitowoc Lutheran. The Tigers and Lancers are no strangers though, as Manty Lutheran beat Howards Grove in another five-setter late in the season.

#3 Shoreland Lutheran @ #2 Racine Lutheran – These two Midwest Classic South rivals finished fourth and fifth in the conference but split the season series. The Crusaders beat Shoreland 3-2 in the regular season, but the Pacers exacted revenge by sweeping Racine Lutheran in the MCC Conference tournament. The winner will take on another MCC rival in a very open regional.

Division 4

#3 Clayton @ #2 Luck – These two former Lakeland West rivals split division this season as Luck stayed in the West and Clayton moved to the Central. That shift hasn’t hindered the two schools’ multi-sport rivalry though as the Cardinals ousted the Bears last season in the regional semis. Clayton will need a big match from McKenzie Kanipes in the middle to counterbalance Luck’s sophomore tandem of Bella Nelson and Camille Marsten, though this should be quite a battle in the northwest.

#3 Greenwood @ #2 McDonell Central – Greenwood tied for third in the Cloverbelt East behind Spencer and Owen-Withee, both top seeds in respective WIAA regionals. The Indians actually surprised two-time defending sectional champion McDonell at its host tournament in early December, though the Macks are pretty tough in win-or-go-home situations over the past few postseasons.

#3 Port Edwards @ #2 Valley Christian – Valley Christian made its first state tournament in any sport in school history last year behind the historic Potratz sisters. This season the Warriors haven’t quite experienced the same dominance, but in an even regional could just make a splash again this postseason. They will host Port Edwards, who finished in the middle of the CWC Ten pack in hopes to earn its third straight sectional berth.

#3 Wausaukee @ #2 Wabeno – Wausaukee was a favorite to win the Marinette & Oconto Conference when the season began, but needed the final week of the season to clinch the outright title. Ranger Ashlie Zeutzius is one of the best athletes in the pretty open northeast sectional, though Wabeno swept Wausaukee earlier this season at the Northland Pines Invite. The Logrollers will likely look to their big gun Ashley Baugnet to provide a similar presence in this battle for County Highway C.

#6 Alma @ #2 Plum City – Alma took its #6 seed as motivation for this year’s regional run, starting by surprising #3 Pepin Tuesday night. The Rivermen (or is it Riverladies?) will get their second crack at a Dunn-St. Croix team in Plum City, who actually tied with Pepin and Spring Valley for second place in the conference. The Blue Devils won the season opener for both teams, 3-0.

#3 Highland @ #2 Argyle – Both of these interdivisional Six Rivers teams have something to prove. Highland, which finished third in the West division, is defending its 2010 D4 state title. The Orioles, who finished second in the East division, have been knocking on the door and improved drastically over the past couple seasons.

#3 Sheboygan Christian @ #2 Oakfield – Sheboygan Christian was in a whole ‘nother regional last season, running into Lake Country Lutheran in the regional semis. This year the Eagles were shifted northward and face a more wooden opponent in Trailways North foe Oakfield. The pair has similar records and finished behind a string of D3 conference opponents, which could make for a competitive matchup.

#3 Central Wisconsin Christian @ #2 Fall River – Central Wisconsin Christian finished fourth in the Trailways North with a 6-3 mark, but as mentioned above only one of those teams is D4. The Crusaders have some height with three players over 5-10 and a very strong arm in Laney Kemink, but Fall River—second in the Trailways South— has good size as well with a pair of 6-footers led by kills leader Brenna Vick.