Boys volleyball ousted early by state champs

A loss to close out any season always has a bit of disappointment tied to it.

But when your team gets to state, the sting quickly goes away.

And that’s just how the Westosha Central squad is feeling this week, as it saw its 2013 season come to an end Friday night against eventual champion Marquette in a match played at Wisconsin Lutheran College.

Marquette, which entered the tournament as the top seed, posted wins of 25-11, 25-18, 25-18 to end the Falcons year at 27-11 overall. Central was making its third trip to state in the last four years.

The Hilltoppers just had a bit too much firepower, Central coach Wayne Schultz said.

“Marquette played a great match against us,” he said. “We were actually played OK to start, but they rocked us  back. … On Friday night, they were the better team.”

Schultz had to alter his lineup before the match, as Jon Sattersten sprained his ankle at practice Thursday and was unable to play against Marquette.

“(He) just did not have enough time to get it ready,” Schultz said.

Marquette, which defeated Brookfield East in the semifinals and Germantown in the finals, kept the Falcons off-balance, especially in the opening set, Schultz said.

“They served us tough, and we struggled with our passing,” he said. “Because of that, we could not get our middles involved, and Marquette had an easy time of loading up their blocks against our outsides.”

Central made a few tweaks to its attack in the second and third sets and was able to keep things close.

“We adjusted our blocking, which helped slow down their offense, plus our guys never quit,” Schultz said. “They worked and competed hard start to finish. I felt we did a great job of keeping our heads up and moving to the next point.”

Statistical leaders for the match included Jordan Easthon with six kills and five digs; Mike Skora with six kills and four digs; Brooks Gahart with four kills, 15 assists and four digs; Glenn Karsten with four kills; and Nick Picchietti with six digs.

 

Seniors close careers

The loss ended the careers of Central seniors Gahart, Luke Werth, Aaron Cliffton, Karsten and Picchietti, and their efforts did not go unnoticed, Schultz said.

“They were on a mission to make us the best we could be,” he said. “Because of these guys, our entire program got our culture and work ethic back where it needed to be. I have never been more proud of a group of fine young men.

“It has been awesome watching our senior group through the years grow into young men. They are hard working, good kids and most importantly, want to pass their leadership on to see our program come back even stronger next season and for seasons to come.”

 

 

 


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