THE TOURNAMENT: The 46th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Volleyball State Tournament will take place Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 1-3, at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis. Ticket prices for the tourney are $8 per session with school ticket packages available. To order tickets online, go to the WIAA website at: www.wiaawi.org/Tickets.aspx.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION: The single-elimination tournament features matches with a best-of-five-sets, rally-scoring format. Eight teams will play for the State title in Division 1, with four teams still in contention for the State crown in Divisions 2, 3 and 4. Below is the schedule and match-ups for the tournament. This is the first year the State tournament will be seeded and for Division 1 only. The top four seeds in Division 1 will have their opponents selected randomly from the remaining four qualifying teams.
Division 1
Thursday, Nov. 1
#1 Arrowhead (45-6) vs. Waukesha West (34-10) - 4:30 p.m.
#4 Burlington (36-5) vs. Kimberly (33-10)- 4:30 p.m.
#2 River Falls (42-2) vs. Greendale (31-16) - 7 p.m.
#3 Oconomowoc (29-7) vs. Sun Prairie (40-8) - 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 2
Semifinal (Thursday's 4:30 p.m. winners) - 7 p.m.
Semifinal (Thursday's 7:30 p.m. winners) - 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 3
Championship Match - 4:30 p.m.
Division 2
Friday, Nov. 2
Little Chute (38-1) vs. Kettle Moraine Lutheran (30-10) - 4 p.m.
Mosinee (37-6) vs. East Troy (29-8) - 4 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 3
Championship Match - 2 p.m.
Division 3
Friday, Nov. 2
Stratford (43-0) vs. Living Word Lutheran (29-6) - 1 p.m.
Grantsburg (31-5) vs. Lake Country Lutheran (36-11) - 1 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 3
Championship Match - 11:30 a.m.
Division 4
Friday, Nov. 2
Newman Catholic (31-12) vs. Catholic Central (37-7) - 10 a.m.
Clayton (28-3) vs. River Ridge (24-0) - 10 a.m.
Saturday, Nov. 3
Championship Match - 9 a.m.
FINALS ON FS WISCONSIN PLUS: Watch the broadcast of the WIAA State Girls Volleyball finals Saturday on FS Wisconsin Plus. The Division 4 and the Division 3 finals will be aired live at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., respectively. The Division 2 and Division 1 championship finals will be aired at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively. Check local cable listings for the FS Wisconsin Plus channel in your area. The finals will also be streamed live on FoxSportsGo.com with authentication or by downloading the Fox Sports App.
PRE-FINAL MATCHES LIVE ON THE WEB: The Division 1 quarterfinals and semifinals of all four divisions of the WIAA State Girls Volleyball Tournament will be streamed live on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS Network on a consumer subscription basis. To purchase a subscription to the live programming, log-on to www.nfhsnetwork.com and click on the graphic in the middle of the page. Archived streams of the games will be available on demand on the NFHS Network 72 hours after the tournament without requirement of a subscription.
LAST YEAR: Burlington won the Division 1 title by outlasting River Falls in the championship match 25-20, 25-15, 22-25, 17-25, 15-13. Lakeside Lutheran came back to win the Division 2 championship with a five-set victory over Luxemburg-Casco by scores of 19-25, 13-25, 25-22, 25-23, 15-10. Lake Country Lutheran captured the Division 3 crown by defeating Regis 23-25, 25-12, 25-17, 25-19 in the title match. Clayton won the Division 4 title after finishing runner-up in 2016 by downing Lourdes Academy 25-15, 25-20, 25-27, 25-22 in the final.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 1 FIELD: The only other appearance in the State tournament by top-seeded Arrowhead came back in 2001 when the Warhawks fell in their quarterfinal match. This season, they swept Divine Savior Holy Angels 25-14, 25-20, 25-14 in the sectional final hosted by the Dashers to earn their first appearance in 17 seasons. The Warhawks finished tied with Oconomowoc for second place in the Classic Eight Conference this fall. Last year’s runner-up and second-seeded River Falls qualifies for the third year in a row, which accounts for the total number of appearances for the Wildcats. Their return to State comes following their 25-14, 25-11, 25-17 win over Stevens Point in the Eau Claire Memorial Sectional final. They won the Big Rivers Conference title in the regular season. Oconomowoc, the third seed, is back in the State tournament for the second straight season and for the third time in the past four years. The Raccoons finished runner-up in their first State appearance in 2015. They outlasted Watertown 26-24, 18-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13 in the Hartford Sectional final to advance to the State quarterfinals. They tied for second place with Arrowhead in the Classic Eight Conference this season. Defending champion and fourth-seeded Burlington qualifies for the State tournament for the fifth straight season and for the 10th time overall. The Demons have now won three State championships with the first two coming back-to-back in 2011 and 2012. They also have a runner-up finish in 2016. Their return to the quarterfinals comes by virtue of a 25-21, 25-22, 25-14 sweep over Westosha Central in the sectional final hosted by Westosha Central. They finished in a first-place tie with Westosha Central in the Southern Lakes Conference standings this season. Kimberly is appearing in its second straight State tournament and its 12th overall. The Papermakers won the Division 2 championship in 1990 and finished runner-up in 1995 and 1999. They defeated Appleton North 25-17, 25-14, 26-28, 25-11 in the sectional final held at De Pere to earn their return to the final eight. They are the champions of the Fox Valley Association this season. Greendale returns to the State tournament for the fourth straight season and for the seventh time overall. The Panthers’ most notable outcome of their six previous experiences was a runner-up finish in Class A in 1974. They advance to the quarterfinals this year following a 32-30, 25-22, 25-16 victory over Franklin in the sectional final played at Racine Case. The Panthers were runners-up in the Woodland Conference this season. Sun Prairie makes its fourth overall appearance at State and its second in the past three seasons. The Cardinals’ furthest advance in the tourney was to the semifinals in 2013 and 2016. They defeated Waunakee 26-24, 25-18, 25-20 in the sectional final played at Waunakee to earn their spot in the tournament field. They are the champions of the Big Eight Conference this fall. It’s the first time Waukesha West will experience the State tournament. The Wolverines earned their inaugural trip to the State tournament following a 25-21, 19-25, 25-23, 25-15 win over Mukwonago in the Kettle Moraine Sectional final. They finished fifth in the Classic Eight Conference standings this season.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 2 FIELD: Little Chute makes its fourth appearance in the State tournament and its first since 2004. The Mustangs’ most notable experience at State was a runner-up finish in Division 2 in 2003. This season, they are the champions of the North Eastern Conference and the representatives out of the Wrightstown Sectional following their 21-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-22 win over last year’s runner-up Luxemburg-Casco in the final. East Troy returns to the tournament field for the fourth time and for the first time since 2015. The Trojans’ won the Division 2 crown in 2013 and were runners-up in their most recent appearance. They scored a 25-14, 25-13, 25-15 sweep over McFarland in the sectional final hosted by the Trojans. They won the Rock Valley Conference championship this season. Kettle Moraine Lutheran is making its eighth appearance overall and its first since 2012 when the Chargers won the Division 2 title. That was the most recent of five championships on the Chargers’ ledger. They also won the Division 2 crown in 2007. Prior to that, they won three straight Division 3 championships from 2002-04 and finished runners-up in 2001 and 2005. The Chargers return to the tournament after defeating Wisconsin Lutheran 25-16, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21 in the sectional final played at Catholic Memorial. They claimed the title in the East Central Conference this year. Mosinee has qualified for the State tournament for the second time. The Indians’ only other experience in the tourney came back in 2005, which resulted in a loss in the semifinals. They are back in the final field of four following a 25-22, 25-18, 10-25, 25-23 victory over Bloomer in the Altoona Sectional final. The Indians are the champions in the Great Northern Conference this season.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 3 FIELD: Defending champion Lake Country Lutheran is making its second straight appearance and its third in the past four seasons. The Lightning finished runner-up in their first appearance in 2015. They came back to beat Cuba City 25-10, 19-25, 18-25, 27-25, 15-10 in the Wisconsin Heights Sectional final to advance to the semifinals. They finished in a tie atop the Midwest Conference standings this season with Living Word Lutheran and University School of Milwaukee. Living Word Lutheran advances to the State tournament for the second time and for the first time since its only other appearance in 2015. The Timberwolves fell in their semifinal match-up that season. They upended Howards Grove 27-25, 25-23, 25-21 in the Lourdes Academy Sectional final to earn their return to the tournament field. They finished tied for first place in the Midwest Conference standings this season with Lake Country Lutheran and University School of Milwaukee. Stratford is making its second consecutive State tournament appearance after qualifying for the first time last season, which resulted in a loss in the semifinals. This season, they advanced through the St. Mary Catholic Sectional, culminating with a 25-15, 25-14, 25-14 victory over St. Mary Catholic in the final. The Tigers are the champions in the South Division of the Marawood Conference this year. Grantsburg is back in the tournament for the 14th time and for the first time since 2012. The Pirates have played in the championship match seven times, winning State titles in 2001 and 2009 and finishing runner-up in 1989, 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2010. They are the champions of the Colfax Sectional after defeating Aquinas 25-23, 31-29, 25-21 in the final. The Pirates are the champions of the West Division of the Lakeland Conference this season.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 4 FIELD: Newman Catholic is back attempting to return to the championship form that won the Fighting Cardinals four straight titles from 2013-16. They are making their 11th overall appearance and their 10th in the last 11 seasons. The Fighting Cardinals have had a pair of runner-up finishes as well, those coming in 2009 and 2012. They advance to State for the eighth season in a row after sweeping Wausaukee in the Bowler Sectional final by scores of 25-20, 25-12, 25-21. They finished runner-up to Division 3 qualifier Stratford in the South Division of the Marawood Conference this fall. Defending champion Clayton makes its sixth straight appearance and its 10th overall. The Bears have now won three State titles. The first two came in 1990 and 1996. They have also finished runner-up three times, in 2008, 2013 and 2016. Their return to the Resch Center this season comes following a 25-15, 26-24, 16-25, 25-13 win over Washburn in the McDonell Catholic Sectional final. They are the champions in the Central Division of the Lakeland Conference this year. Catholic Central has a rich history in the State Tournament. The Hilltoppers have qualified for the seventh time with the previous six appearances producing five championships and one runner-up finish. They won three straight titles from 2006-2008 and back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. Sandwiched between the consecutive championships was a runner-up finish in 2010. They continue their pursuit of a sixth gold trophy after defeating Hilbert 25-18, 20-25, 25-22, 19-25, 15-9 in the Randolph Sectional final. The Hilltoppers are the champions of the Metro Classic Conference in 2018. River Ridge is making its first-ever appearance in the State tournament. The Timberwolves gained access to the tournament field after beating Hillsboro 25-12, 25-15, 19-25, 25-9 in the Royall Sectional final Saturday. They won the Six Rivers Conference championship this fall.
WIAA OFFICIAL VOLLEYBALL: Molten is the official ball of the WIAA State Girls and Boys Volleyball Tournament Series. To learn more about Molten products, access the website at www.moltenusa.com.
NEED RESULTS?: Results of the State Girls Volleyball Tournament are available on the WIAA website at www.wiaawi.org by accessing the girls volleyball page at http://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/GirlsVolleyball.aspx.
STATE MEET ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Receive updates of the State Girls Volleyball Tournament on the WIAA State Tournament Twitter account @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaagvb. Also like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram at wiaawi, and add us on Snapchat at wiaawis.
BELLIN ATHLETIC TRAINING: Bellin Health Sports Medicine is the exclusive provider of licensed athletic training services for the State Girls Volleyball Tournament.