By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
As a defending state champion, it’s pretty difficult to sneak up on anybody.
But in the case of the East Troy High School girls volleyball team, that may have been the case, at least a little bit, last weekend.
East Troy, currently ranked No. 2 in Division 2, knocked off the state’s first- and second-ranked teams to highlight its effort at last weekend’s Brookfield Central Tournament.
After a 2-1 loss to Waterloo to open play, the Trojans swept Kaukauna, followed by a 2-0 win over second-ranked Muskego and a hard-fought 2-1 win over top-ranked Divine Savior Holy Angels.
East Troy closed the day with a 2-1 loss to Brookfield East, which was ranked sixth in the state entering play this week.
Junior standout M.E. Dodge enjoyed a huge day with78 kills, two aces and 42 digs. Other leaders included Katrina Santos with 45 kills and four blocks; Katie Hodges with three kills, six aces, 67 digs and 19 assists; Chloe Jakscht with 14 digs and 81 assists; and Carly Atchison with four aces and seven digs.
Prior to the tournament, the Trojans opened their 2014 Rock Valley Conference schedule with a pair of three-set sweeps.
East Troy blanked host Evansville 25-20, 25-15, 25-8, followed by a 25-11, 25-19, 25-15 win over McFarland two days later.
In the win over McFarland, Dodge had 24 kills, two blocks and 10 digs, followed by Santos with nine kills; Hodges with 13 digs and 10 assists; Atchison with eight digs; Jakscht with six digs and 24 assists; and Natalie Bearce with six digs.
Dodge led the way with 19 kills, three blocks and 10 digs, while Santos with eight kills and Katie Hodge with three aces. Atchison had three aces and seven digs, followed by Jakscht with five digs and 12 assists and Jenna Hodges with 13 assists.
East Troy was back in action Tuesday night against visiting Jefferson. The Trojans close out the week Thursday at Whitewater.
