Volleyball to make first state appearance in school history
Photo by Dan Larson / Sauk Prairie Eagle
From left, Brooke Larson, Alex Gust Lauren Halweg and Alison Halweg celebrate with the Sauk Prairie girls volleyball team's sectional title plaque Oct. 31 after the Eagles beat Madison Edgewood to advance to their first state tournament in school history. They play Appleton Xavier on Nov. 6 in Ashwaubenon.
By Dan Larson, Sauk Prairie Eagle
MCFARLAND — After the match was over Oct. 31, Lauren Halweg admitted she and her teammates on the Sauk Prairie girls volleyball team knew they were often considered the underdog.
She could say it with a smile, though, because on this night, the Eagles were the top dog — they were bound for their first state tournament in school history.
"It's just such an honor to go to state. ... We're so excited," she said, taking a break from the celebration and the hugs and congratulations from friends and family.
They got the trip to Ashwaubenon, where the Resch Center in the Shadows of Lambeau Field will host the tournament, thanks to a never-say-die attitude — a relentless pursuit of that accomplishment even in the face of defeat.
On Oct. 29 in the sectional semifinal, the Eagles erased a two-sets-to-one deficit against Edgerton and a five-point deficit in the fourth by winning that one and the fifth to advance.
Two nights later, they won the first two sets but needed a dramatic comeback in the fourth to avoid a tenuous fifth.
The excitement of that comeback continued for a while.
Some members of the team piled on top of each other on the floor, while others lept for joy and exchanged hugs. Eventually, they all made their way toward their parents, and friends — many of them students, who were dressed for the Halloween holiday and didn't hesitate to join the celebration on the floor immediately after the match's finish.
While the sectional championship presentation ceremony was taking place, some members of the team smiled at each other while others looked on in disbelief, as if the moment were a dream.
Someone forgot to pinch Alex Gust, whose energy in the fourth set on Oct. 29 helped spark the Eagles to win in the sectional semifinal and ultimately the state berth.
"I don't think I'll even realize it until we're on the way, or we're walking into the Resch Center,' she said. "Then, I'll be like, 'Oh my gosh, we really are at state.
"This isn't a dream."