Second bid for state ends two matches short

Grafton High School’s volleyball team faced a tall task last Thursday in trying to take down one of the top teams in Division 3 while missing its biggest weapon.

The Black Hawks never backed down during a sectional semifinal at Kettle Moraine Lutheran, but the Chargers pulled through, 25-22, 25-20, 19-25, 25-17.

KML swept Grafton early in the season, but by now both squads had developed their skills and teamwork. Grafton, however, was missing one of the best players in program history, senior Paige Proefrock, who tore her ACL a few weeks ago.

The other seven seniors and underclassmen came together to try to win for Paige.

“We just went in knowing we had to bring it our all. We really accomplished that,” senior Alessandra Austin, who came back this season from a torn ACL, said.

KML pulled out a tight first set in which Grafton never trailed by more than four and once led by two. The teams tied at 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 21 before the Chargers closed it out.

Grafton fell behind, 18-9, in the second set before going on an 11-5 run to close to 23-20. KML again pulled it out.

“I know our team is gritty, and we will absolutely battle for every single point,” Grafton coach Ashley Wilson said. “No matter what, we can come back and we can work hard. We can put good strings of points together no matter who’s on the court.”

This time, the Hawks didn’t allow a sweep. Grafton never trailed and at one point led 20-12.

“I think we really didn’t want it to be our last game playing together. We tried to pick up the intensity to keep our season going,” Abby Barthelemy said.

“We all worked super hard as a team,” senior Paige Arentz said. “We lifted each other up, cheered. It just felt so amazing to know that we were still in this game. It just doesn’t end our way sometimes.”

KML took an early lead in the fourth set, but the Hawks closed to 12-11. A 9-2 run had KML up, 21-13, and the Hawks weren’t able to come all the way back.

The Chargers’ blocking and defense slowed and dug hard spikes from Addison Lempke and Grace Tilley that would other times find the floor.

“It was just a different motivation because it was all or nothing tonight. We all just gave it 100%,” Tilley said.

Coach Ashely Wilson said KML is “an amazing defensive team, and our team has had to make so many adjustments with having multiple players who were not able to play in these matches.

“I’m super proud of our team in how we stepped up. Not every team would go put up a fight like that.”

Senior Ava Dotson said, “We just wanted to give it our all. We just wanted to try to the best of our ability.”

Lempke and fellow sophomore Brooke Vanden Berg each had 10 kills. Janie Libka had seven, Austin had six and Grace Tilley had five. 

Barthelemy had 29 digs. Vanden Berg had 13. Libka had 10.

Paige Arentz had 18 assists and Dotson had 15.

Barthelemy had three errors on 32 serve-receives.

Grafton finished 28-8. KML, 30-10, swept Edgewood on Saturday to advance to state.

“I’m super proud of our girls. With all the adversity that our team faced, there’s nothing to be upset about,” Wilson said.