Chiefs quietly win conference
Kinsey Mace (#12- top photo) gets the ball over the net against a Wautoma block
By Jim den Hollander
The disappointment showed on the faces of the Wisconsin Dells High School varsity volleyball team following its first loss at the WDHS gym Thursday night. Oh, not a match loss - a game loss. On a night that saw the Chiefs team climb to 9-0 in conference matches and clinch the South Central Conference championship, a season-long game winning streak was snapped when the visiting Hornets rallied for a 26-24 win in the game's second night. That dropped the Chiefs' game record to 25-1 on the season, but they added two more in the next two contests to begin a new streak. It's a sign of just how dominant the Chiefs have been this season in conference matches, that one game loss can disappoint them and a 93 percent service rate looked like and 'off' night. After a 26-24 win in the opener, the Chiefs saw the tables turned against the (until Thursday) defending conference champion Hornets turned the tables in game two. Clearly, that annoyed the locals who won never trailed again, winning the next two games 25-19, 25-17 to clinch the conference championships. The Chiefs though, have one more hill to climb and have put their conference championship celebration on hold until Tuesday when they wrap up the conference schedule on Senior Night against Mauston. The title is the second in three seasons for the Chiefs. A few of the seniors - Kinsey Mace, Markee Schultz and Skye Solava played a part in the earlier title as sophomores as well. On the night the team clinched its last conference title, the Kilbourn Fire Department helped them celebrate with a trip through town streets and there was general excitement all around. This time, the team certainly celebrated its win, but for a team that celebrates every point and even cheers on substitutions, this was far from over the top. For Solava, the team's middle hitter, the win was bittersweet as the team captured one of its goals, but missed out on another. "I think we're all a little disappointed that we didn't go 30-0," said Solava. "That was our huge goal overall." Clearly that wasn't the goal from day one, but after going through the conference once without a defeat, it certainly appeared reachable. "As the season wore on, we saw we were doing real good as a team defensive-wise and offensive-wise and we just saw that and we said, okay, here's a new goal, so, I think it was just a real big disappointment when we lost that game." While not using it as an excuse for the loss, Solava added it was a little disheartening the student body didn't share the championship with them. "I don't know, it kind of hurt us all that our crowd disappeared," admitted Solava. "After the first game we won, then everyone else leaves and it was kind of like, oh, great, thank you, thank you for your support," said Solava adding, "We really do love it when everyone comes out and supports us, it's a huge thing. Solava had another big night offensively for the Chiefs with seven spike, but setters moved the ball to the outside a little more often, allowing for Markee Schultz's big hit down the line. She led the way with a dozen kills, Solava and Katie Piekarski sharing the blocks lead with four each. Kinsment Mace picked up a team high 27 assists and also had three service aces while Ashlee Platt saw her court time increased due to Lucia Goree's absence due to illness and responded with nine digs on the night. Kristin Oines collected the most points from the service line, an even dozen while Tess Myklebust (21-21) and Markee Schultz (17-17) were both perfect at the service line. Head coach Cyndy Collins said the team is happy to reach one goal, but not finished yet. "We've still got a game left," said Collins of the team's low key celebration following the conference clincher. "It'll be crazy on Tuesday," predicted Collins with a smile. While confirming winning conference was certainly a goal for the team this season, Collins added "Our primary goal right now is to be 10-0. We have one more match to finish our goal." The missed just seven of 108 serves on the night. A great night most seasons, but in this season of amazing accomplishments, it seemed like just an 'OK' type of game. Collins said though, it shouldn't be surprising when considering the opposition. "This was a big match and we didn't have our libero. We had someone new. Lucia is usually back there. Not that Ashlee hasn't played in that role, but its just one more thing...it's different and it's a bigger responsibility for Ashlee." Goree had one of her best nights of the season at Adams-Friendship but has been forced to the sidelines due to illness. Collins hopes she'll be back in the lineup for a tournament at La Crosse on the weekend and obviously for her chance to be recognized at Seniors Night on Tuesday. Chiefs 3 Green Devils 0 At Adams, the Chiefs' earned a 25-18, 25-9, 25-17 win for a sweep on the night. Kinsey Mace played a key role once again, collecting 20 assists on the night and making her presence felt at the next with four tip kills. Markee Schultz and Skye Solava both hammered eight spike kills, Solava actually made it a hat trick for the night as she picked up a team high three service aces and shared added a pair of block kills to share the team lead with Katie Piekarski. Defensively, Tess Myklebust and Lucia Goree shared the team lead for digs, collecting seven apiece while Mace added another five. The team made an amazing 71 of 73 serves count for a 97 percent rating, led by Solava who was a perfect 13-for-13 while both Myklebust and Schultz dropped all 11 of their serves. South Central Conference Volleyball WISCONSIN DELLS 3, ADAMS-FRIENDSHIP 0 Wisconsin Dells............................ 25 25 25 Adams-Friendship........................ 18 9 17 WISCONSIN DELLS (leaders): Kills — South Central Conference Volleyball WISCONSIN DELLS 3, WAUTOMA 1 Wisconsin Dells. . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 24 25 25 Wautoma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .24 26 19 17 WISCONSIN DELLS (leaders): Kills —