With standout performances from seniors McKenna Larsen and Carly Lemke, the Oconto Falls High School volleyball team beat Waupun 3-1 in Saturday’s WIAA Division 2 sectional final at Seymour High School to advance to the state tournament.
“I’m ecstatic,” Lemke said. “All the seniors, we said it all year, we wanted to go out with a bang and definitely making it back to state is the way to do it.”
The team’s seniors — Larsen, Lemke, Elizabeth Watzka and Rachael Winter — were all a part of the 2011 team that made it to state.
“It feels awesome to do it with this team and these girls,” Larsen said. “We’ve grown more together as a family this year. I wouldn’t want to end my high school volleyball career any other way.”
Having won the first two games easily and letting Waupun slip past them 27-25 in the third game, the top-seeded Panthers won a tight fourth game to secure the sectional title and advance to the state tournament, setting up a showdown with East Troy on Friday at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
The fourth set came down to Larsen, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter/setter, and Lemke, a 6-foot middle hitter, making the plays they’ve made all season.
Waupun, which was the No. 3 seed in its regional, led 18-14 until a rally by Oconto Falls, including three points by Larsen and a run of serves by Winter, put the Panthers ahead 22-19.
“We’ve stressed never giving up all year,” Larsen said. “I think that really showed. We knew to get the momentum back we had to chip away one-by-one.”
The rally may have been helped when Waupun coach Kurt Breier protested a ball that went out of bounds, saying it was off an Oconto Falls player. The coach’s protest resulted in a yellow card and his coaching box privileges were revoked.
Still, the Warriors managed to hang on, tying the set at 23-23.
On the next volley, Lemke sent a rocket past the Waupun defenders to set up match point.
That’s when coach Dawn Larsen had a request of her senior middle hitter.
“Coach Larsen looked at me and said, ‘one more kill, let’s make it a block kill,’” Lemke said.
On the volley, the Warriors made the mistake of trying to get through the middle on a back-row attack. Lemke was there to deny the ball, getting the match-winning block kill to end it.
“When I got it, I couldn’t believe it. I made sure it hit the ground a couple of times before I turned around,” Lemke said. “I saw all my teammates and immediately started crying. It was an amazing experience.”
Lemke had 22 kills in the game and three blocks. McKenna Larsen finished with 29 kills, 21 assists and 32 digs. McKayla Johnson had 23 digs. Watzka had 26 assists.
The Panthers (42-3) wasted no time establishing its dominance in the first game. Larsen got the match started with a kill and a run of six points serving. Oconto Falls went on to win the first two games 25-15, 25-15.
For Dawn Larsen, who is McKenna’s mother, the win was bittersweet.
“How else would you like to go out in my last year with my daughter and her senior friends,” she said. “These kids have really worked hard. I don’t know if there is a team around that works as hard.”
Undefeated East Troy (42-0) enters the Division 2 state tourney as the top seed. The Trojans are ranked eighth in the nation by MaxPreps. Also battling for the state crown are Altoona (34-5) and Edgewood (36-4). The championship match will be played at 2 p.m. Saturday.
General admission tickets for Friday’s match are $8 and available at OFHS or at the Resch Center.
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