Chris Caporale, sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bonduel High School’s Hayley Pues attempts to block Wittenberg-Birnamwood’s Helia Gagnon during Bonduel’s loss Saturday night.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School’s Danica Wendler attempts to hit around a double block by Bonduel’s Brittany Wudtke and Hayley Sorenson during Witt-Birn’s sweep Saturday.
In her 11th season as head coach at Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School, Chris Nier brought a new focus on passing to the 2015 Chargers team.
The effort paid off, even helped the team make history, with a 25-11, 25-20, 25-9 sweep of Bonduel on Saturday for its the first WIAA Division 3 regional championship in team history.
“They are begging to hit and just begging to nail the ball, but now we know as coaches that is not the best way to approach our games, so it’s really been about the defense, and that’s really what the whole season has been about,” Nier said.
Bonduel’s strong front line of big hitters could not keep the Chargers out of system. Wittenberg-Birnamwood, meanwhile, had three players with eight kills or more, with junior setter Madison Bushman adding 36 assists.
Bonduel (17-17) got down early and was never really able to recover.
“One thing this team has struggled with all three of my years is mental toughness, being mentally strong and being able to pull out of things when they aren’t going your way,” Bonduel head coach Kim Bodoh said. “I think they kind of succumbed to that today.”
Bonduel’s Hayley Pues and Hayley Sorenson each recorded three blocks, possibly their lowest totals of the season. The Chargers’ junior middle hitter, Taylor Nier, meanwhile, tallied 18 kills, including seven in the final points of games two and three. She also posted 14 digs and five blocks.
“I just think our blockers weren’t reading where the setter was going with it and weren’t up there,” Bodoh said. “We were late on blocks, we were missing blocks totally, and (Taylor Nier is) a really talented player.”
Kailee Pedersen was able to record 10 digs and six kills for the Bears, but it was not enough to slow down Nier and Co.
“We have enough (hitters) and spread out enough that we always have someone to count on,” Chris Nier said. “That keeps them out of system, and for them to put up a single block against a good middle is a little devastating to a team.”
Senior Danica Wendler added eight kills in her final home match of the year in Wittenberg. Amanda Muscha, a senior libero, tallied 20 digs.
The Chargers, who are on a 13-match win streak, will open sectional play Thursday in Bay Port against Lourdes Academy, which has made the sectional final each of the past two seasons.
“To be the first at anything is just awesome,” Chris Nier said. “I would have to say it means a ton to them, but I don’t think they realize how much it means to me though. This is the biggest accomplishment we’ve ever had, so it’s just huge.”