This story is sponsored by: The Marshfield Tiger Booster Club
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield volleyball team clinched a share of its fourth-straight Wisconsin Valley Conference championship with a 3-0 sweep of Wausau East on Thursday night at Marshfield High School.
The Tigers won 25-11, 25-21, 25-10, to finish the Wisconsin Valley Conference season with an 11-1 record, tying D.C. Everest for the conference title for the third time in the last four seasons. Marshfield won the title outright last year.
Click here to view the final Wisconsin Valley Conference volleyball standings
Marshfield was in control for the entire first set, building an early seven-point lead at 13-6. A block kill by Lauren Homolka, an ace from Casey Dasler and another Homolka kill helped push them to the 14-point victory.
The second set was a little more difficult for the Tigers as a number of service errors kept Wausau East in the match.
Marshfield led 7-1 following two aces from Dasler, one of six seniors celebrating Senior Night on Thursday.
East closed to within 15-12 after a block kill by Gretchen Berger and cut it to 19-18 on an ace from Allyson Siikarla.
The Tigers were able to gain a sideout to hold on to the lead and kills by Homolka, who had a team-high 13, and Abby Ongna, who had 11, closed out the set.
After the shaky second set, Marshfield came out focused and dominated the third.
The Tigers (34-4 overall) scored six points in a row after East opened with an ace by Claire Coushman. Dasler had her fifth service ace, and Homolka and Ongna both had two kills to put the Tigers in command and they never trailed, winning 25-10.
Junior setter Kailyn Kurth had 32 assists, Grace Taylor added six kills, and Ashlyn Barwick had seven digs for Marshfield.
Marshfield is the No. 2 seed in its WIAA Division 1 sectional bracket and earned a first-round bye. The Tigers will open the postseason with a regional final at home against either Hudson or Stevens Point on Saturday, Oct. 21.