MONROE — Monroe (2-20, 0-7 Badger West) battled Beaver Dam (8-20, 1-6 Badger East) but fell short by scores of 11-25, 20-25 and 15-25 in the Badger Challenge on Thursday, Oct. 13.

The Cheesemakers’ best performance came in the second set where they got out to a 5-1 lead but fell 20-25. Despite the loss, Monroe head coach Cassie Wittmann was happy with how her team has improved all season.

“We have a lot of youth,” Wittmann said of her lineup. “There’s so much immaturity there that we are excited to see where these girls can go. Seeing them improve already in the past 8-10 weeks is incredible. I feel like everybody else can see the difference.”

Beaver Dam opened the match slow, committing a service error and lift. The team rebounded, though, with a tip from Ali Kelm, ace from Amelia Storhoff and block for a 4-2 lead.

Olivia Feller and Sophie Golembiewski rallied Monroe with a kill and ace, respectively, to tie the game.

The Golden Beavers took the lead on the next point and never looked back. They scored two or three points to every one for the Cheesemakers until the end. Beaver Dam closed out the first set on a seven-point run, unruffled by a Monroe timeout. 

After a poor serve receive, the Cheesemakers jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second set, thanks to a kill and ace from senior Maggie Hawkinson.

Beaver Dam worked its way back, as its number 16, Virginia Bryant, also had a kill and ace. The two teams tied the set at six, seven and eight before Monroe went on a four-point run for the lead. Hawkinson recorded a kill and fellow senior Corrina Snider served up an ace. 

Once again, the Golden Beavers stormed back, tying the game at 12 and 13. Golembiewski was the hero this time around, knocking down two kills for a 17-13 Cheesemaker lead.

“The biggest thing is reading and knowing,” Wittmann said of the team’s second-set runs. “We talk a lot about being disciplined and knowing what to change. That came out in that set. The other big thing is we have to keep going back to the basics. We talked about controlling the controllables. Those are the things we need to focus on because that’s our style of game. That’s what we can do best.”

Monroe scored three more points but could not hold onto the lead. Beaver Dam came from behind with a 10-point rally to take the second set 25-20.

The third set ended up being one of runs, as Beaver Dam took an early 7-2 lead with a six-point rally.

After a timeout, Monroe went on a run of its own, as Laurel Sheaffer made the most of her playing time by smashing two kills. 

“At this point, we’ve been trying different things,” Wittmann said if her rotating lineup. “She’s [Sheaffer] learning just as much as those younger kids. We are hoping that seeing these minutes and whatever reps she gets transfers over to next year.”

The Golden Beavers’ serve gave them another advantage, as they went up 13-6. Monroe’s final run began with a block from Sheaffer and ended with a kill from Golembiewski. Beaver Dam ended the third set on a four-point run and a kill from Amiyah Jackson.

Golembiewski led Monroe with seven kills, followed by Sheaffer with three. Sophia Douglas and Hawkinson recorded two kills each, while Oliva Feller had just one.

At the end of the match, the team honored its seven seniors: Katie Witt, Brenna Aebly, Hawkinson, Snider and Douglas, as well as foreign exchange students Julia Gavalda Egea and Anastasia Yacoub. 

“They’ve gone all out,” Wittmann said if the seniors’ efforts. “They’ve been willing to try anything and everything we throw at them. We had people move to different positions this year as seniors. Maggie Hawkinson moved to outside and she played middle for two or three years. Katie Witt was a setter, and she suffered a torn ACL in the spring. She stepped into a new role well.”

Monroe will travel to Whitewater (16-5, 8-1 Rock Valley) for its regional quarterfinal game on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

“Going into next week, if we can control the things we can control, and they do that all three sets, win or lose, whatever it may be, I don’t care,” Wittmann said. “They’ve grown so much and done so well. What more can I ask for?”