This story is sponsored by: The Marshfield Tiger Booster Club
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – No. 4 seed Wausau West came back from a six-point deficit to win the first set and used that momentum to defeat No. 1 seed Marshfield 3-1 in a WIAA Division 1 girls volleyball regional semifinal Thursday night at Marshfield High School.
West (6-5) moves on to a regional final at No. 2 seed D.C. Everest (8-2) on Saturday at 7 p.m. after defeating Marshfield (8-3) for the second time in 10 days.
Marshfield took a quick 6-2 lead in the opening set on the strength of three-straight services aces from Casey Frankland.
Marshfield led 20-14 before West turned up its offense.
The Warriors scored 11 of the next 12 points, which included two aces by Grace Michalske. A kill by Alli Schauls finished off a 25-21 win for West.
After Marshfield scored the first five points of the second set, West countered to tie the match, then built a 10-7 lead after two aces by Maddie Hauser.
Two kills each from Schauls and Kylie Buchberger helped West take a 2-0 lead with a 25-19 win.
Marshfield rebounded in Game 3, leading most of the way.
West tied the match at 21-21 on a kill by Kiley Deaton before Marshfield earned a sideout. Two kills from Frankland and an error from West gave Marshfield a 25-21 win and life in the match.
However, West led the entire way in the fourth set. Michalske had eight of her 18 assists in the fourth game, and four kills by Buchberger and three more from Deaton helped the Warriors to a 25-19 victory.
Frankland finished with 18 kills, Taylor Barwick had 19 assists and four service aces, and Elise Uphoff had 13 digs for Marshfield.