Top-seeded Germantown (44-3) survived to advance to the final of the State Boys Volleyball Tournament Saturday afternoon at the Recreation Complex on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, Wis.
The Warhawks fought off Catholic Memorial with a 20-25, 25-20 23-25, 25-15, 15-10 in the State semifinals.
Carter Schmidt led all attackers with 19 kills for the Warhawks. Bryce Behrendt and Luke Taylor also collected double figures in kills with 13 and 10, respectively. Hans Stelpflug handed out 44 assists, and Carter served a team-high three aces. Defensively, Taylor had six blocks, including one solo and five assists, and Schmidt was credited with 12 digs.
The Crusaders were led by Evan Solomon with 15 kills and a match-high four service aces. Ryan Peschl doled out 41 assists, and Christian Brayer and Braden Bielinski led the defense with five block assists and eight digs, respectively.
Germantown advances to the tournament final for the second time, and Catholic Memorial (18-8) finishes its season with its 13th State appearance.
Second-seeded Kimberly (35-2) set up a showdown with top-seeded Germantown in the final after defeating Kenosha Indian Trail in the semifinals Saturday afternoon at the Recreation Center.
The Papermakers came back from a late deficit in the fourth set to notch a 29-27, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23 victory over the Hawks.
Landon Krause hit a match-high 25 kills for Kimberly, and Tommy Clausz and Spencer Herman each chipped in with 10 kills apiece. Chase Robinson directed the offense and distributed 49 assists, while Krause led the defense with 15 digs and six block assists.
The Hawks were held to a .158 hitting percentage in the game. Nathan Klimisch led the team with 16 kills, and Jackson Antos contributed with 10. Nick Stachura was the top distributor, assisting on 34 of the team’s 42 kills. Stachura also paced the defense with 10 digs and a block assist.
Kimberly advances to the championship match in its first State appearance, and Kenosha Indian Trail (35-4) is eliminated from its third State appearance.