LA CROSSE — The Central High School volleyball team had a battle on its hands against Sparta on Thursday night, but it found a way to advance in the WIAA Division 1 tournament.
The eighth-seeded RiverHawks (15-13), who beat the ninth-seeded Spartans once in five sets and once in four during the regular season, finished them in three on Thursday, but the scores were 25-23, 25-23, 25-23 in a regional semifinal at the Mark Sutton Memorial Gymnasium.
The match was tied 30 times before Central emerged with the chance to play at top-seeded and fifth-ranked Waunakee (37-8) in a 7 p.m. semifinal on Saturday.
Junior Kaitlyn Borge had a team-high eight kills for Central, which also received six kills, 12 digs and 12 assists from junior Ellie Gillitzer.
Junior Addies Sazama-Nauman matched Gillitzer’s 12 digs and added 11 assists, and junior Celia Christopherson contributed a team-high 17 digs for the RiverHawks.
Onalaska 3, Madison East 0
ONALASKA — The fourth-seeded Hilltoppers (20-9) had little trouble beating the 13th-seeded Purgolders 25-13, 25-17, 25-22.
Onalaska will host fifth-seeded Middleton at 7 p.m. Saturday with a regional championship on the line.
Junior Natalie Marso recorded a team-high 10 kills, and junior Kendall Carlson and senior Isabella Malecek added eight apiece. Carlson also had four blocks and Malecek five digs and two blocks.
Sophomore McKenzie Bauer led Onalaska with 15 digs and four service aces, and freshman Isabella Eckstein had a team-high 17 assists to go with five digs for the Hilltoppers.
Division 2
St. Croix Central 3, West Salem 0
WEST SALEM — Fifth-seeded St. Croix Central emerged victorious over fourth-seeded West Salem in a battle of Panthers. St. Croix Central won 26-24, 25-20, 25-15.
Senior Josie Brudos had a team-high six kills and added 12 digs for West Salem (24-8). Sophomore teammate Brooklyn Ghelfi had nine digs to go with a team-high 12 assists.
Division 3
Aquinas 3, Adams-Friendship 0
LA CROSSE — The fourth-seeded Blugolds beat the fifth-seeded Green Devils 25-13, 25-12, 25-18 at the Reinhart Athletic Complex and will continue their season by playing at top-seeded Viroqua in a 7 p.m. regional final on Saturday.
Senior Sammy Davis had 21 kills, seven digs, two aces and one block as Aquinas (15-14) won their fourth straight match and for the sixth time in seven matches.
Junior Adi Bezemek had 33 assists and senior Alaina Elias nine kills for the Blugolds.
Onalaska Luther 3, Wautoma 0
ONALASKA — The second-seeded Knights took care of the seventh-seeded Hornets 25-17, 25-20, 25-14 and will host third-seeded Richland Center in a 7 p.m. regional final on Saturday.
Luther (18-10) has won seven of its past nine matches and was led by sophomore Audrey Clark’s 11 kills in this semifinal. Senior Kayla Schiebel added nine and sophomore Cara Unke seven. Schiebel added a team-high four blocks.
Senior Kamryn Anderson had a team-high nine digs and junior Addie Schaper a team-high 28 assists. Schaper also had four aces and eight digs for the Knights.
