The 12 Gold team was extremely excited to get another chance to play in a 12's event this year before heading to Louisville. The Youth Classic on May 31 & June 1 proved to be a tourney that gave this team a chance to see if all the extra hitting work that they put in with Coach Scott would pay off. Playing on the 7ft net and with a Volley Lite for only the 2nd time this season was a real treat and throughout the tourney everyone found their own special way to contribute.

In the 1st match of the event Jo Wachowiak (Jo-Jo) smashed an overpass & owned the net with her huge blocks which helped to set the tone for the rest of the tournament. As usual at the 12's level serving is such an important part of the game and this was proven to be true during the entire event. Serving was exceptional by all players but one stood out above them all. Jo-Leigh (JLO) Vervelde helped the team overcome a 10 point deficit in the semi final match against Ultimate. With her teammates cheering louder with each finely placed serve she found a way to make it look easy. She also did an exceptional job of getting the ball to the hot hitters as one of our setters.

Sydney Kunz (Syd) kept the opponents guessing in every game as she is so versatile that she managed to get kills in the middle, right & as a setter too. Lauren Alberti (LA), Michelle Fugarino (Foogie), Kelly Rushman (Rush) & Megan Mueller (Meg) found ways to keep the ball off the floor with digs seldom seen by any their age, shots on the outside that varied all over the court and serves that proved to be too much for their opponents. Rycki Ebert (Bert) also served up a storm and contributed with a variety of great swings down the middle & on the outside too. Paige Groth (PG) showed how to be an athlete with her uncanny court sense, creative setting & a few very well placed dumps. Katherine V onBank (Vonnie) brought the hammer down with both her strong serving and shots to the corner. She even finished with a few game winning solo blocks.

The championship match was as exciting as any that the team has been in this season. Their opponent was the well coached and dynamic as ever WI Juniors 12-1. It was a great battle and enjoyed immensely by all that crowded around court 7 to watch. This was the first meeting of both teams and how great it was that the Badger Region had the two finalists in this exciting event. After all was said and done Sting came out on top with a 2 game victory.

The chemistry that this team & group of parents has is unmatched by any that they have played this year. They are loud and proud every moment that they are on & off the court. When Ken Ebert begins every game with the low bellowing yell of MILWAUKEE STING and the echo of the BAM BAM cheer resonates with every kill, the players & all around know that they are in for a real treat. This team is made up of 10 leaders who are compassionate, dedicated and extremely positive with one another. Our motto is Many Hearts, One Heartbeat and they believe with every heartbeat that they get closer and closer as a team.

The 13 White, 12 Black & 11 Gold teams completed their 07/08 seasons at the Youth Classic in Aurora, IL on June 1st.

All 3 teams had strong finishes. Way to go Players, Coaches & Parents!!!!

Is this an illusion? Do I see Prep Volleyball talking to Andrea Henning and Britney Groth about their championship victory over OVA at the Sports Performance National Junior Classic? Did I watch Andrea continually dig balls from players like Illini Elite's Hannah Werth (Nebraska) and mutter, "Is that all you got?" on her way to the tournament's MVP? Or, was it just Darrell who's been known to perform many illusions off the court, now performing one on the court?

Whatever the reason, Sting 17 Gold earned the respect of players, coaches, and even Prep Volleyball with their magical performances over teams like Illini Elite, M1, and OVA Memorial Day weekend. On Day 1, the team beat both Oiler Attack and Uno in 3. Then, on Day 2, they faced Illini Elite and NVA. Illini Elite was the toughest match of the weekend (and even forced my dad to find his Mojo spot all the way on court 1 while we were playing on court 5). We were off to a slow start and lost the first game. However, we came back and won the second. Illini Elite then took the third and we took the fourth.

The fifth game was close the entire way as each team fought for the win. But, 17 Gold ended up winning 15-13 with a block kill by Karen Sueppel and a kill by Caroline Langer. Day 3 was even more exciting as we were 2 matches away from 1st place. We played M1 first and won the first game, but gave them hope in the second after losing 24-26. However, we took the next 2 games and were in the finals! 17 Gold faced OVA for the championship match after taking first in their pool. Every player played their personal best and we really worked together as a team to achieve our goal of first place.

Jamie Mueller became more than a setter getting numerous kills and blocks for our team, and Anna Bartz and Andrea Henning dug anything that came their way. Brittany Groth also crushed the ball and racked up points with her deep corner push shot. Mollie Moesch and Torey DeLozier also contributed to the win with their outstanding kills. But, we couldn't have done all of this if it weren't for our setters and Sam Minton's amazing aces. After 4 long games, 17 Gold defeated Orlando Volleyball Academy, taking 1st place in the National Junior Classic. After match point, we all rushed to the center of the court screaming, proud that we were finally able to show just how good our team is. We entered the tournament seeded 5, and ended up leaving 1st. With only two more tournaments left, we hope to continue to succeed and show more teams just what we are made of! :)

Also, congrats out to Andrea Henning for receiving tournament MVP!!! Her positive energy and constant motivation helped all of us push through this long weekend (along with her AWESOME passing). Great job Andrea, and great job everyone!! :)

Yes, it's a holiday weekend and some people just can't relax. On Friday evening May 23rd at 11:38pm, 14 Gold coach Teri Leach FINALLY gave birth to a 6 lb. 14 oz., 20" baby girl! No word on whether or not she is left or right hand dominant. Congratulations Teri, Bill and Mac (Let's not forget Aunt Patty) on the new addition. We can't wait to meet the new family member!

To view some more images and leave a comment to Teri and her family, follow this link.

Oh-i-o was the place to be the weekend of May 2nd as Sting 16 Black fought valiantly to win the Premier VBC tournament. With and initial ranking of 11th out of 12 teams, and a best of 5 format, the lady Stingers hit, blocked and passed their way up the tournament ladder. Each game brought a new challenge, new obstacle and exciting rallies. Sunday was the highlight as the team rallied around setter, Kate LaTour, who was playing with a sore wrist (later to be discovered it was fractured). With Fort Wayne looming, the ladies mustered all of their energy and talent end the match in 3 games. This maneuver placed them in the winners circle. Cheers abounded as the victorious team congratulated each other for a beautiful team effort.

A BIG Thank-you to all that participated in the 6th annual Sting Golf Outing held on Sunday, May 18. As usual loads of fun was had by all. The biggest thanks go out to Sue Minton & her helpers for putting together almost all aspects of the outing from the brochure, collecting raffle items and the set-up of those items.

The weather could have cooperated just a bit more; above 50 and a wee bit more sun would have been nice. But at least we were dry and the sparkling conversations of our team mates kept us warm. There were some outstanding scores by many teams; with the winning team receiving Golf Galaxy gift cards. There were also gift cards from Longnecks Brew Pub that went as hole prizes.

The biggest hit of all after the luncheon were the raffle prizes, which were in abundance thanks in part to our teams. The baskets just keep getting more spectacular each year. And of course the AirTran airline tickets will assure the lucky winner of a great little get away.

We hope to see you all on the links this summer.

Sting 18 Black Outside Hitter Liz Bartelson (Burlington H.S.) is going to be a Patriot this fall. Liz has decided to play ball at UT-Tyler. UT-Tyler is an NCAA DIII institution out of, you guessed it, Tyler, TX. Congratulations Liz!

College Fun Facts: Coming Soon