MONROE - Monroe volleyball coach Dave Gersbach knows the Cheesemakers might have played at a championship level after finishing second and going 4-1 at the Monroe Invitational, Saturday.
The Cheesemakers took WIAA Division 3 defending state champion Wisconsin Heights to three games before falling to the Vanguards, 25-23, 19-25, 10-15. Wisconsin Heights finished 5-0 to win the Monroe Invite.
"Frankly, I think we should have won," Gersbach said. "I felt like we could have won our tournament. That is the first time I have felt that strong about this group."
The Vanguards' libero and defense frustrated the Cheesemaker hitters by digging out a few tough shots to keep points alive.
"They just played a swarming defense," Gersbach said. "There was just no floor over there. It was like continual hitting practice. Because of their defense, we altered our game plan. We need to stay aggressive and continue to attack."
The Cheesemakers opened the invite with a 25-17, 25-19 win over Royall. Monroe jumped out to a 12-8 lead in the second game before Royall battled back to tie it at 13. Monroe senior middle blocker Jamie Armstrong, who had 42 kills, seven blocks and 13 aces in the Invite, came through with a kill to force a sideout and gave the Cheesemakers a 14-13 lead. Armstrong then used a jump serve and rattled off five straight service points, which included three aces to give the Cheesemakers an insurmountable 19-13 lead.
"I think I have gotten a lot stronger and I'm coming out and doing it more consistently," Armstrong said. "Last year it was more sporadically."
Armstrong thinks the speed and strength training the Cheesemakers have done has already started to pay dividends on the court.
"We are a lot more scrappier than last year," Armstrong said. "I think that (training workouts) has made us last longer throughout the match."
Monroe faced their first deficit in the opening game against Madison West, when the Cheesemakers trailed the Regents 15-11. Monroe rallied when junior Jaclyn Ditter delivered a kill to force a sideout.
"All of our hitters are back from last year," Gersbach said. "They are up to form. We are starting to click."
Monroe senior Chelsea Wyss then delivered five straight service points to help the Cheesemakers take a 21-18 lead.
"I didn't want to think too much because then I get frustrated," Wyss said. "I just had to get back, relax and go with it."
The Regents came back to tie it at 21. That's when Armstrong and the Cheesemakers' hitters stepped up and put the Regents away. Armstrong came through with a kill to tie the game at 22 and followed that up with another powerful kill. Wyss ended the game with a kill to give the Cheesemakers a 25-22 win.
"We knew if we came out and pushed ourselves to the limit, we would win that second match," Wyss said. "I felt if we played with the intensity we had the first few points in the first game, we would win."
Gersbach praised Wyss for her pivotal hot serving.
"That was huge," he said. "It's nice when you have a group of seniors like that who can step up. She is vastly improved in it (serving) and it showed."
In the second game against the Regents, senior Chrissy Marti gave the Cheesemakers a spark with five straight service points and two aces for a 19-13 lead. Freshman Becca Armstrong had an ace and Ditter and Wyss combined on a block to give the Cheesemakers a 22-16 lead.
"We knew it would be a tough game," Armstrong said of the Regents who played without one of their top hitters. "We couldn't take them any lighter. We came out and gave it our best."
Reedsburg senior Sarah Chrabaszcz scored five straight service points to help the Beavers jump out to a 12-7 lead in the first game. After a Cheesemaker sideout midway through the first game, Armstrong delivered another ace to cut the Beavers' lead to 14-12.
The Cheesemakers rallied from a 19-16 deficit with strong net play. Armstrong had a kill that tied the game at 20 and she had another kill to give the Cheesemakers a 22-21 lead.
"If we can get a sideout every time with a strong defense, get the ball up to our hitters and they will put it away, that should be the equation for victory," Gersbach said.
When it looked like Reedsburg would force a sideout, the Beavers were called for an illegal alignment due to a late substitution, which gave the Cheesemakers a 23-21 lead. Armstrong then had a kill and senior Jessica Wyssbrod had an ace to give the Cheesemakers the comeback 25-21 win.
Monroe senior Abby Kennison scored six straight service points at the start of the second game to give the Cheesemakers a 13-7 lead. After a Cheesemaker sideout, Wyss delivered an ace to give the Cheesemakers a 16-8 lead they never relinquished.
Armstrong had 10 kills, two digs and one block against Reedsburg.
The Cheesemakers finished the invite by beating Baraboo, 25-14, 25-16.
Armstrong had a team-high seven aces against the Thunderbirds.
Gersbach isn't thinking about whether the Cheesemakers can make a state run yet.
"Our first goal is to win conference," he said.
The Cheesemakers took WIAA Division 3 defending state champion Wisconsin Heights to three games before falling to the Vanguards, 25-23, 19-25, 10-15. Wisconsin Heights finished 5-0 to win the Monroe Invite.
"Frankly, I think we should have won," Gersbach said. "I felt like we could have won our tournament. That is the first time I have felt that strong about this group."
The Vanguards' libero and defense frustrated the Cheesemaker hitters by digging out a few tough shots to keep points alive.
"They just played a swarming defense," Gersbach said. "There was just no floor over there. It was like continual hitting practice. Because of their defense, we altered our game plan. We need to stay aggressive and continue to attack."
The Cheesemakers opened the invite with a 25-17, 25-19 win over Royall. Monroe jumped out to a 12-8 lead in the second game before Royall battled back to tie it at 13. Monroe senior middle blocker Jamie Armstrong, who had 42 kills, seven blocks and 13 aces in the Invite, came through with a kill to force a sideout and gave the Cheesemakers a 14-13 lead. Armstrong then used a jump serve and rattled off five straight service points, which included three aces to give the Cheesemakers an insurmountable 19-13 lead.
"I think I have gotten a lot stronger and I'm coming out and doing it more consistently," Armstrong said. "Last year it was more sporadically."
Armstrong thinks the speed and strength training the Cheesemakers have done has already started to pay dividends on the court.
"We are a lot more scrappier than last year," Armstrong said. "I think that (training workouts) has made us last longer throughout the match."
Monroe faced their first deficit in the opening game against Madison West, when the Cheesemakers trailed the Regents 15-11. Monroe rallied when junior Jaclyn Ditter delivered a kill to force a sideout.
"All of our hitters are back from last year," Gersbach said. "They are up to form. We are starting to click."
Monroe senior Chelsea Wyss then delivered five straight service points to help the Cheesemakers take a 21-18 lead.
"I didn't want to think too much because then I get frustrated," Wyss said. "I just had to get back, relax and go with it."
The Regents came back to tie it at 21. That's when Armstrong and the Cheesemakers' hitters stepped up and put the Regents away. Armstrong came through with a kill to tie the game at 22 and followed that up with another powerful kill. Wyss ended the game with a kill to give the Cheesemakers a 25-22 win.
"We knew if we came out and pushed ourselves to the limit, we would win that second match," Wyss said. "I felt if we played with the intensity we had the first few points in the first game, we would win."
Gersbach praised Wyss for her pivotal hot serving.
"That was huge," he said. "It's nice when you have a group of seniors like that who can step up. She is vastly improved in it (serving) and it showed."
In the second game against the Regents, senior Chrissy Marti gave the Cheesemakers a spark with five straight service points and two aces for a 19-13 lead. Freshman Becca Armstrong had an ace and Ditter and Wyss combined on a block to give the Cheesemakers a 22-16 lead.
"We knew it would be a tough game," Armstrong said of the Regents who played without one of their top hitters. "We couldn't take them any lighter. We came out and gave it our best."
Reedsburg senior Sarah Chrabaszcz scored five straight service points to help the Beavers jump out to a 12-7 lead in the first game. After a Cheesemaker sideout midway through the first game, Armstrong delivered another ace to cut the Beavers' lead to 14-12.
The Cheesemakers rallied from a 19-16 deficit with strong net play. Armstrong had a kill that tied the game at 20 and she had another kill to give the Cheesemakers a 22-21 lead.
"If we can get a sideout every time with a strong defense, get the ball up to our hitters and they will put it away, that should be the equation for victory," Gersbach said.
When it looked like Reedsburg would force a sideout, the Beavers were called for an illegal alignment due to a late substitution, which gave the Cheesemakers a 23-21 lead. Armstrong then had a kill and senior Jessica Wyssbrod had an ace to give the Cheesemakers the comeback 25-21 win.
Monroe senior Abby Kennison scored six straight service points at the start of the second game to give the Cheesemakers a 13-7 lead. After a Cheesemaker sideout, Wyss delivered an ace to give the Cheesemakers a 16-8 lead they never relinquished.
Armstrong had 10 kills, two digs and one block against Reedsburg.
The Cheesemakers finished the invite by beating Baraboo, 25-14, 25-16.
Armstrong had a team-high seven aces against the Thunderbirds.
Gersbach isn't thinking about whether the Cheesemakers can make a state run yet.
"Our first goal is to win conference," he said.
