By Derek Kiesow
Correspondent
The Trojans put East Troy on the volleyball map this weekend when they stunned the No. 1 ranked team in the state and captured the Brookfield Central Lancer Invitational.
The Trojans, ranked third in the 16-day team tournament, began the day without a regular starter, but new faces were able to fill the hole and the Trojans took their first victory over an upset minded Greenfield team.
The Hawks from Greenfield played East Troy very tight in the first set, but the Black and Gold pulled away in the second set 25-23, 25-13.
Green Bay Preble, East Troy’s second opponent, did not pose much of a threat and were easily overmatched by Trojan talent. East Troy was able to sweep Green Bay 25-7, 25-17.
The win set up a pool play final against also undefeated Muskego. The winning team would earn a much easier pathway into the final championship bracket during the later part of the day.
East Troy came out very sluggish in the first game, which could have been due to a long break before the match began.
Not playing its best, East Troy was still able to keep the first game close, but Muskego notched the game one victory 22-25.
In the second game East Troy came alive. The Trojans jumped out to a 10-2 lead before Muskego took a timeout to stop the huge East Troy momentum that was building. The timeout did anything, but kill the Trojans’ momentum as the Black and Gold went on another 5-1 scoring run to extend the lead to 15-3. Muskego called its second and final timeout, but East Troy still ran away in the second game, 25-7. The win set up both teams for a final decisive game three.
Muskego, looking to end East Troy’s momentum, scored the first two points of the set, putting the Trojans behind right from the start. East Troy was able to battle back to tie the score at 3-3, but the set was downhill from there as the Trojans never led again. Muskego took the set and the match with a final game score of 12-15.
“I think that the match against Muskego was a wake-up call for the girls,” said head coach Jeremy Weis. “We were not physically ready to play them after the long break. I think that the girls are more aware now of what they need to do to compete with other high level teams.”
The loss was a huge setback, as East Troy was matched up against Burlington, the No. 1 ranked team in the state and defending WIAA Division 1 champion. The Demons, 20-0 on the year, entered the match on a 28-match winning streak dating back to last season.
In the first set, Burlington played like the top team in the state, outplaying East Troy in every aspect of the match and quickly taking the first game 13-25.
Coach Weis took important time in the changeover to challenge his team between sets.
“When I challenge the girls, they always seem to respond,” Weis said.
In the second set, East Troy showed up and played like a completely different squad. Neither team was able to extend more than a three- point lead until both teams were tied at 20. East Troy called a timeout to get a quick breather and get its game plan in order.
The timeout did the trick, as the Trojans come out on fire and scored the last five points taking the match into a third game 25-20.
With East Troy’s crowd roaring, the Trojans took their newfound momentum into the decisive set, jumping to a 7-2 lead before Burlington called a timeout. Burlington worked hard to close the gap and the lead shrunk to only three points, 13-10.
The Trojans were able to close the open door by taking the next two points to give Burlington their first loss of the season and move the Black and Gold one step closer to the final.
“Against Burlington we started to receive the serve better and our ball control was unbelievable. I believe that was the difference in the game. Our defense was better than theirs,” said Weis.
Westosha Central met up with East Troy in the semifinals.
The Trojans have had Central’s number so far this year, as they have already taken them down twice this season. East Troy did not have another let down as they took control early and swept the match 25-16, 25-22 moving the hometown Division 2 team into the finals.
Milwaukee Pius XI, another high ranked team in Division 1, was a tough opponent in the championship.
The Trojans fell behind in the first set late 19-21. The “never say quit” attitude in East Troy’s players was very evident as the Trojans battled back, closing the set on a 6-1 run, and taking the first set 25-22.
In the second set, Pius erupted early and took a 1-7 lead over East Troy, but the Trojans once again came storming back from behind to tie the game at 10. From there it was all Trojans, as East Troy took its second tournament win of the short season so far.
Freshman M.E. Dodge led the Trojans with 54 kills and 9 aces while Brittney Jakscht notched 126 assists and 10 blocks. Mykie Olsen rounded out the leaders with 62 digs.
“This win gives us a really good idea for what we are capable of doing. As long as we all work together and keep our energy level high, we are able to compete with any team in the state,” commented Weis.
Vs. Edgerton
Earlier in the week, East Troy swept Edgerton for East Troy’s first Rock Valley Conference win of the season.
East Troy dominated the Tide 25-11, 25-17, and 25-21. Dodge again led with 16 kills while Jakscht notched 33 assists. Myranda Dallas served up three aces while Olsen added 14 digs. Kelsey Kiesow and Bryzena Santos teamed up for three blocks in the match.
