Regional champions were crowned in girls volleyball on Saturday across Wisconsin, as the WIAA Girls Volleyball Tournament now heads for the sectional round on October 31 and November 2.
Relatively few upsets occurred in Division 1, with all eight #1 seeds advancing and only one #2 seed falling. The sectional semifinals on Thursday will be 5 p.m./7 p.m. doubleheaders at pre-determined venues, with the top half of each sectional playing the earlier contest.
#4 Little Chute over #1 Fox Valley Lutheran was the biggest upset in Division 2, which saw the other seven #1 seeds advance. Half of the #2 seeds were eliminated as well, with four #3 seeds moving on.
Only two upsets occurred in Division 3, with #3 Regis beating #2 Melrose-Mindoro and #3 River Ridge rallying to beat #2 Wisconsin Heights. Seven of the eight #1 seeds swept their match-ups 3-0, and the lone five-set match involving a top seed was #1 Brodhead holding off #4 Cuba City (recap below).
Gibraltar and Black Hawk were the lone #3 seeds to win regional titles Saturday in Division 4, with only #1 or #2 seeds advancing in the other match-ups.
You can see the full brackets by clicking here.
Brodhead holds off Cuba City to win first regional title since 2013
A five-set epic between this year's top seed in Division 3, Sectional 3, Brodhead, and perennial power Cuba City resulted in Brodhead advancing to the sectional round for the first time in six years.
The Brodhead Cardinals won the first, third, and fifth sets in a back-and-forth affair in a packed gym with a number of extended volleys.
For Brodhead coach Erin Kammerer, it was a huge moment of triumph for her squad, facing a senior-laden team on the other side of the floor.
"It was a true team effort," Kammerer told The Big 1070. "We have such a nice mix of experience and youth. Everyone contributed."
Cuba City, with nine seniors, was able to dig their way out of trouble for much of the match. It all came down to an extended run in the fifth set by Brodhead that doomed the Cubans on Saturday night. The Cardinals reeled off eight straight points to help Brodhead win the fifth set 15-4.
"There is no limit for us," said Kammerer, after being asked about how far she could see her team going. "But I'm going to hold on to [the regional plaque] probably for a while."
Brodhead: 25-19-25-20-15
Cuba City: 20-25-16-25-4