The THS volleyball team took their show on the road to the challenging 24-team UW-Oshkosh Invite last weekend, performing 5-0 pool-play perfection and backing it up with a quarterfinal win over Berlin.
But HM Oconto Falls knocked the 7th-ranked local girls (D2) into a tie for third place with a 19-25, 25-17, 15-12 semi-final match.
“We beat the teams we should beat this weekend, but when the pressure was on, didn’t step up to the plate,” Tomahawk coach Jen Pfannerstill said. “Aside from the play against Denmark and some during the Berlin game we never had everyone clicking at the same time. There’s so much talent but the game of volleyball is not only about that, just like any sport. We have to find the intensity all of the time to pull out close games against good teams.”
The Hatchets cranked out wins over Southern Door (25-13, 25-17), Ripon (25-10, 25-11), Bayport (25-17, 25-22), Baraboo (25-13, 25-16) and 9th-rated Denmark (13-25, 27-25, 15-8) in their pool, then toppled Berlin 25-23, 29-27 before the loss to Oconto Falls.
Kaitlin Doughty and Jenna Otterholt were both named to the All-Tournament team.
Providing firepower for the Hatchets were: Doughty (47 k, 35 ac, 2 bl, 21 d); Anna Sudbury (28 k, 8 ac, 7 bl, 64 as, 20 d); Kaylin Olson (11 k, 4 ac, 3 bl, 77 as, 15 d); Kellan Flynn (24 k, 7 ac, 14 bl, 4 d); Otterholt (3 ac, 62 d); Sydney Lakatos (37 k, 15 ac, 2 bl, 40 d); Kayli Ogstad (11 k, 9 bl).
Hodag warmed over
Tomahawk prepared for the event with a 3-0 GNC triumph over Rhinelander last Tuesday, winning 25-17, 25-16, 25-16.
“There was a click tonight, a really positive energy where the kids weren’t on a roller coaster, they fed positively off each other and focused on our side of they net,” Pfannerstill said. “There was never the feeling that Rhinelander could make a run that could hurt us because we were passing really well, serving so aggressively with 20 aces in 3 games and were able to run our offense.”
Propelling THS were: Doughty (9 k, 7 ac, 5 d); Sudbury (5 k, 5 ac, 14 as, 6 d); Flynn (8 k, 3 bl); Lakatos (4 k, 3 ac, 11 d); Olson (4 k, 16 as); Ogstad (6 k); Otterholt (7 d).