By Dan Truttschel~Sports Correspondent
The brackets played themselves out as expected at last weekend’s Southern Lakes Conference Volleyball Tournament at Burlington.
And for the Westosha Central girls squad, that meant a rematch with the Demons.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, they couldn’t pull off the upset in a three-set defeat to finish second overall to the defending Division 1 state champions.
Central earned two wins in the opening rounds, as it defeated Waterford 25-13, 25-12 and Union Grove 25-19, 25-21, 25-23, before it fell in three straight to the Demons.
Burlington clinched the outright tournament title with a 26-24, 25-19, 25-16 win over the Falcons.
Central was led by Danielle Rampart, who had 31 kills, 30 digs, 15 assists and six aces. Other leaders included Maria Rasch with 23 kills and six blocks; Lauren Hickson with 15 kills; and Ashley Jehlicka with 52 assists.
The Falcons’ second-place finish came on the heels of a 25-11, 25-12, 25-22 SLC win earlier in the week over Waterford.
Even with the lopsided scores, the night was far from easy for the Falcons, Central coach Charlie Berg said.
“At this time of the year, teams can’t afford letdowns or take teams for granted,” he said. “Waterford never backed down and kept pushing us all night.
“It was a reminder that, unless you give 100 percent on every ball, your year could be over. Waterford proved my point.”
Statistical leaders included Rasch, Maddie Brown and Linda Flahive in scoring; Hickson, Ashley Jehlicka and Jackie McDonough in assists; Rampart and Sarah Horton in defense; and Taylor Conrad and Hailie Hart in serving.
Next up for Central is the start of the WIAA Division 1 regional. The Falcons drew the second seed and hosted 15th-seeded Beloit Memorial Thursday night.
The winner will advance to a second-round contest Saturday, Oct. 20, against either seventh-seeded Janesville Craig or 10th-seeded Elkhorn.
Burlington enters the regional as the top-seeded squad. The Demons received a first-round bye and will play either eighth-seeded Stoughton or ninth-seeded Fort Atkinson in the second round.