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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
SPENCER – Senior hitter Courtney Schulz said she is confident in the Spencer volleyball team’s ability to go far in this year’s playoffs, and Tuesday in the Rockets’ postseason opener, she was able to hit a big career milestone.
Schulz had 18 kills, including 12 in the clinching game, to lift the Rockets to a three-game sweep of Cadott in a WIAA Division 3 volleyball regional quarterfinal at Spencer High School. Spencer won 25-12, 25-14, 25-15 as Schulz passed the 1,000 kill mark for her career.
“This year, we have a bigger front row altogether, so I didn’t know if I was going to make it (to 1,000),” Schulz said. “So, it was a big surprise to me.”
Spencer pulled away in the first game, scoring 12 of the last 13 points. After a steady performance in Game 2, Schulz took over in the third game.
Cadott jumped out to a 6-0 lead before the Rockets pulled ahead 10-9 after four kills by Schulz and another by Tynae Phillips.
Schulz had eight more kills as Spencer closed out the game with a 14-2 run.
“I feel extremely confident in our team this year,” Schulz said. “We push each other every day at practice to our max. We put everything on the court every time we step out there, and we all do our part when we’re out on the court.”
Setter Kyleigh Hebert had 34 assists, and Dani Johnson had 15 digs and Marisa Johnson added 11.
Spencer will take on Cloverbelt Conference rival Neillsville in a regional semifinal Thursday night at Spencer High School.
“We played a little slow playing without middle hitter Paige Johnson (who is day-to-day with a leg injury),” Spencer coach Buff Heller said. “Once we started to pick it, serve a little better and play defense, things got better.
“For years in this regional, there’s never a bad team. Cadott, for 7-29, they play a lot better than that record indicates.”