This story is sponsored by Forward Financial Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
AUBURNDALE – The Spencer volleyball team had its hands full with Stevens Point Pacelli senior hitter Kasia Wojciehoski, but it was able to weather the storm and pull off a big victory.
The Rockets prevailed 3-1 over Pacelli in a WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal Thursday night at Auburndale High School and stands just a win away from returning to the WIAA state tournament for the second year in a row.
Spencer won 25-18, 28-26, 23-25, 25-20, to advance to Saturday’s Division 3 sectional final against Oconto. Oconto swept Weyauwega-Fremont 25-17, 25-19, 25-14.
“The girls have worked really hard and earned everything,” Spencer coach Buff Heller said. “We actually just made T-shirts from our regional (championship) that said ‘We don’t rebuild, we believe.’ It’s a little saying the girls wanted to do and it’s worked so far. The ‘We Believe’ from last year has carried into this year, and it’s been fun.”
Spencer slowly surged ahead in Game 1 and held on despite a flurry by Wojciehoski. She had three of her team-high 20 kills to bring Pacelli within five at 23-18 before the Rockets gained a sideout and Alicia Endreas had an ace to close out the win.
The Rockets held off three game points in the second game and were able to turn it into a pivotal win. Brooke Kettleborough assisted on four straight points, which included two kills by Tara Matter and one each from Macie Weber and Paige Johnson, to win 28-26.
“She was definitely a good player,” Spencer senior Paige Johnson said of Wojciehoski. “We just had to take away a little, isolate her, and take her hits away and dig them out.”
Game 3 was a battle as well, with the lead changing hands five times.
Tynae Phillips had three kills in a 4-0 run by the Rockets that closed a six-point deficit to 13-11.
Spencer eventually tied the game at 20-20 and it was tied at 21-21, 22-22, and 23-23 before Pacelli finally closed out the game with kills by Wojciehoski and Jordyn Shields to force a fourth game.
Spencer never trailed in Game 4. Matter took over with 10 kills in the clincher, including three blocks, and she closed out the win with a tip kill to send the Rockets to another sectional final.
“We’ve accomplished a lot this season,” Paige Johnson said. “I’m really proud of what our team’s doing right now. I hope we can keep it going.”
Matter finished with 17 kills, Paige Johnson added 15 and Phillips had 12. Kettleborough had 4 assists and Alicia Endreas (27 digs) and Marisa Johnson (18 digs) led the Rockets’ defensively.
Heller expects Saturday’s match to be similar to last year’s sectional final.
“Saturday’s the hard one and the fun one because we don’t know anything about the other teams,” Heller said. “We just go and play our best and hopefully come out of it. That’s what we did last year. We had a five-game marathon with Kewaunee last year and I don’t expect anything different this year.”