Team not taking anyone lightly, Mueller says
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
Westosha Central High School cruised through four matches, including a showdown against Southern Lakes Conference rival Burlington, en route to a first-place finish at Saturday’s Muskego Invitational.
But according to Lady Falcons senior Kaeley Mueller, beating Burlington is just another moment on the court, where the team plans to keep improving as the Southern Lakes Conference slate starts this week.
“It is always nice to beat your rival, but we are still going to work hard in practice,” Mueller said.
The Lady Falcons, who defeated Greenfield in three sets (25-9, 25-15, 15-7), beat three other schools in two sets.
Westosha Central won against Brookfield Central (25-22, 25-20), Burlington (25-15, 25-17) and Hartland Arrowhead (25-17, 25-15).
Westosha Central High School coach Charlie Berg states it was a collective effort to down all four teams, who took them out of rotation at times, but made adjustments.
“Today’s performance was a good overall team effort,” said coach Charlie Berg. “We played very well as a team.”
Contributing on the front row was sophomore Laura Shoopman, who had 39 kills and four aces.
Mueller notes the 6-foot-2 hitter has strengthened her game since last year, when she was a freshman finding her place on the team.
“I think she knows her role better this year, and she has gotten bigger and stronger,” Mueller said.
Shoopman, however, was not the sole producer on the front row, with senior Abi Marcquenski pitching in with 21 kills, and Mueller adding 20 more along with eight blocks and four aces.
Sophomore Kennedy Muff, a 5-10 setter, chipped in with a team-leading 11 blocks.
Muff added 34 assists, therefore, proving her versatility, Mueller stated.
“She helps out so much, between her energy and her contributions, especially being so young,” Mueller said.
Senior Nikki Stratton bolstered the front row, contributing 11 kills with six blocks.
Mueller said that after several years of working the middle, Stratton is “loving it” this season.
Sophomore Sierra Lee set the tone for the offense, accumulating 47 assists along with 29 digs on defense.
Defensively, senior Libero Sarah Blair dove in, logging 89 digs and producing nine service aces.
“Every year, she just keeps getting better and better,” Mueller said.
Berg notes that teams often got them out of sync, but the Lady Falcons swiftly responded with adjustments.
Berg states other teams attempted to get them out of sync, but the Lady Falcons quickly adjusted.
“We were pushed out of system by the talented teams we competed with today and our team proved ready to defend and make each ball better,” Berg said.
While the Lady Falcons won against Burlington, it does not count towards Southern Lakes Conference standings.
As the Lady Falcons look ahead, Mueller states the team refuses to rest, noting they plan on competing for every point of every contest.
“We never should be complacent… and we will not take anyone lightly,” she said.
Westosha Central improved to 11-4 overall following the tournament championship in Muskego.