Milwaukee Sting is proud to announce that Sting 18 Black setter Elena Kruesel has committed to Winona State! Elena will become a Warrior in the fall of 2010. Winona State is a NCAA DII institution that competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Well done Elena! We are very excited for you.

The commitment news has picked up as of late and this week it's Sting 17 Gold's, Hannah "Bangs" Blanchard's (Muskego, H.S.) turn. Hannah has committed to the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee for the fall of 2011. Hannah will have some familiar company at UW-M with current Sting teammate Taylor Golabowski and H.S. teammate and 2010 Comit, Rachel Neuberger. A huge congratulations to Hannah. We are so proud of you!

We would also like to take a moment to share a great story from 14 White. As many of you know, Martha Blanchard has had to deal with some adversity over the last week. Of course she is getting through it just like a Blanchard! Following is an article by Teri Kovars, coach of 14 White, Martha's team.

The 14 White team had every excuse not to do well at their tournament at the Sky High Athletic Center on April 24th. Just two days before they learned that their teammate, Martha Blanchard, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Instead of letting their concerns overtake them, they rose to the challenge. The girls decided to make the tournament a tribute to Martha. They all wrote MB on one leg and on their other they drew a heart and a teal ribbon, the ribbon for ovarian cancer.

During a break in play a parent from the Sky High 13 Black team asked the girls why they had writing on their legs. The girls explained about Martha. The Sky High team was touched by Martha's story and asked for permission to write the same thing on their legs. We greatly appreciated their thoughts and concerns and took a picture together. The 14 White team finished second in the tournament and Sky High 13 Black finished fifth.

From the Archives - 3/27/2007
11's are Golden
3/27/2007

The 11 Gold brought home their 1st Gold medal from the Block Party Classic on March 25. This was the first opportunity that the team had to play in an 11's only tourney, and they were not going to be denied the title. The day began typically enough. The kids showed up crusty eyed and smelling of Froot Loops. All of them that is, except Martha Blanchard. Martha has been experimenting with a new diet of spinach. "I saw a documentary on spinach and it worked!" she exclaimed. She continued, "This guy, he would eat some and then blamo!"

"Spinach? A whole documentary about a guy and spinach? Was it on NOVA?"

"No, the Cartoon Network."

"Ooookay. Gotcha." As the team suited up for their first match of the day, the effects of Martha's new found energy were in full view of everyone. The thunderous sound of balls coming off of her hand during the hitting warm-up were almost deafening.

"I was scared for my life!" proclaimed one bystander.

"Why? Were you on the court during their warm-up?"

"No. I was two courts away and that kid was creaming balls everywhere!"

So it seems her new found strength is in need of some fine tuning and control but she may be on to something. With all players contributing the 11 Gold defeated Midwest Penguins in a hard fought match right to the end. This is a team that has improved dramatically over the last few months and they are looking forward to bringing home more hardware.

[Editors Note: There may have been some creative license in the re-telling of this story.]

~Take care Blanchard family. We are all thinking of you.

No there is no 6'4" rodent running around. Attitude? Sometimes....In any case it's our pleasure to announce that Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold MH, Krystalyn Goode (Nicolet, H.S.) has committed to become a University of Michigan Wolverine. KG will join coach Rosen's squad in the fall of 2012. Congratulations, KG. You've worked hard and you deserve it. We are proud of you.

Michigan Fun Facts:

Go Blue!

Milwaukee Sting 17 Gold attacker, Kate Acker (Waukesha Catholic Memorial, H.S.) is heading to the mountains in the fall of 2011. Kate has accepted her offer from the DU Pioneers. "I've always loved and admired Grizzly Adams. The mountains of Colorado are my opportunity to live like the Griz." While at Denver, Kate plans on majoring in Bear Training with a minor in Elk Whispering. On the serious side, a great staff just recieved a commitment from a great person. Congratulations Katie. We are proud of you.

It's almost one month away from the Sting Fling! Sting's first annual fundraiser dance will be held May 15th, at the Brookfield Sheraton Hotel. DJ K-Man Kizzle will be providing the tunes from 8:30 to 11:30.The dance is for all Sting girls on 15s-18s teams and their dates! Or don't bring a date and meet some boys from local volleyball clubs. Hopefully, this dance will make up for one high school dance you probably had to miss for a tournament and provide a fun bonding experience for your team! Tickets are selling fast for only $15, so be sure to buy yours today!! Prices will be bumped up to $20 starting May 1st! You can put the money and form in Colleen's office where she will have a Sting Fling folder and extra order forms. Contact Erica Reetz or Janelle Hobbs of 18 Gold with questions!

Milwaukee Sting 17 Black headed to New Orleans over Easter and let's just say it was outstanding. Coming into this season, 10 teammates found out that they were heading to New Orleans over Easter Break and the countdown began! As the tournament approached, 17 Black discovered they were awarded the top seed in the tournament. We had a target on our back this time. Ten volleyball players and one coach arrived in the beautiful city and found a diverse food selection, many different shopping places, and the famous Bourbon Street.

Entering the convention center on Friday morning, we were determined as teammates to achieve the goals we set for ourselves throughout the tournament. We had our eyes on the prize. We started the tournament off facing MAVA and a team called 17's; victory was ours in no time. Then the competition came. To end day one, we played Louisiana VBC and lost in a 3 game match by 2 points. But this did not get us frustrated; we bounced back as a team the next day.

Walking into the gym on Saturday morning, we knew we had to play our hearts out to be in gold on Sunday. We started off playing the number one seed in our power pool, KIVA. We put all our heart and energy into this match and defeated KIVA in 3 games! With no time to rest, we had to face Fusion 17 White. We knew that if we won this match, we would be rewarded with an easier challenge match on our road to the Gold. We came out strong and beat Fusion in two sets. Next we were able to defeat MJuniors in 2 sets to complete an undefeated day. On to the gold we were. 10 players walked out of that gym feeling confident and excited, our first goal (making the gold) could be crossed off the list. Now had time to go explore the city! After a long day on the court, the girls got all dressed up for dinner and went out to Bubba Gump's. We even told the waiter it was Scott's birthday and they sang him a little song! It was a blast!

Sunday was championship day! That morning we started out with Illini Elite, who we quickly defeated to claim our spot in the championship match! Smiles were all across our faces, the parents' faces, and even our coach! We walked on to court number 13 ready to play Fusion 17 White. We started off pretty slowly; losing the first set but then bounced back and won the second! Going into the third set, we were all determined to win, each team playing flawlessly. We fell 3 points short of our overall goal, but returned to Milwaukee with hardware. Milwaukee Sting 17 Black finished the tournament in 2nd place, which made us feel pretty confident and ecstatic! Thanks to all the supporters we had and to the parents that paid our way! Now the countdown to Florida begins.

Greek mythology has nothing on our future Titan. Milwaukee Sting 18 Black OH, Jordyn Bratel is heading to UW-Oshkosh in the fall and will join the Titan Volleyball program. Jordyn will join a program that finished third in the NCAA DIII National Championships last season. Sting 17 Gold DS, Taylor "Beeper" Golabowski is heading south....of Menomonee Falls to join the UWM Panthers volleyball team in the fall of 2011. Congratulations to the both of you. As usual, we are extremely proud.

Two weekends ago Milwaukee Sting sent 11 teams to the first weekend of the Badger Region Championships. Last weekend, the remaining 9 teams made their way to the Midwest Airlines Center for weekend number two. Last weekend the 13's, 14's and 16's had their opportunity to step up for region bragging rights. Of the 9 teams sent, Milwaukee Sting landed 6 teams in the top 5 including two Golds and a Silver in the Open division. Two more teams finished in the top ten and one team finished just outside of the top ten in 11th place.

Milwaukee Sting 14 Gold was one of those Gold medal teams but the road to the Gold was anything but easy. Day two battle tested 14 Gold 3 times over. Twice in round two and then again in the finals. En route to the finals, 14 Gold was pushed first by G-Force. That three set win was followed by a three set match against a very familiar Milwaukee Sting 14 Black. 14 Black came out very strong in the first set. With great ball control and good decisions they earned the first set win 25-22. In the second set, 14 Gold returned the favor with strong offense and defense and took the set 25-15. They carried that second set momentum into the third and prevailed by a score of 15-6. On to the finals for 14 Gold. In the finals they faced off with another very familiar force in East Troy Heat. Having lost to the number one seeded team in the tournament earlier this season, 14 Gold went into the match knowing it was going to be an uphill battle. East Troy jumped on Sting in the first set and changed sides with a 25-19 win. It was familiar territory for our kids and they began their ascent up that hill to the Gold medal. 14 Gold reversed roles in the second set and won 25-21. For the third time it was on to the third set. Just like the last two 3 set matches, 14 Gold pulled it out to claim the region title.

For Sting 16 Gold day one was a 5 team pool and they held their number one seed going 4-0 and not dropping a set. In round two on Sunday they continued strong play on offense and defense going 2-0; placing them atop the Gold playoff bracket. For their quarter-final match they found themselves across the net from SWVBC who were also in 16 Gold's round one pool. That win placed them into the semi-finals against the winner of Milwaukee Sting 16 Black and West Allis Lightning 16-1's. Just like Gold and SWVBC on day one, Black had played Lightning on day one as well. Seeded 5th overall, Lightning scored the upset win in three over 16 Black by scores of 25-17, 22-25 and 17-15. in the first set of their second meeting 16 Black came out strong with a 25-15 win. In the second set, Lightning wasn't about to lay down and took it 25-23. Lightning continued to roll with that 2nd set momentum into the third and jumped all over 16 Black. With Sting spirit and un-relenting defense, 16 Black played inspired volleyball for a big come from behind win taking the third 15-12.

It seems like matchups between our teams are inevitable at the Region Championships. Sting 16 Gold and Sting 16 Black had to face off in the semi-finals. It was a hard fought two set match with 16 Gold coming out on top in two. This landed Milwaukee Sting 16 Gold in the finals against WI Juniors 16-1. 16 Black regained their seed in their quarter final win and ended the tournament tied for 3rd. The first set of the 16 Open finals saw 16 Gold come out strong for a 25-12 victory. The second set was a different story and WI Juniors took it to Sting taking the second set 25-19. In the third, Juniors jumped out to the early 4-2 lead before 16 Gold stepped up their game on both ends of the ball. DS, Mary Bogdanski was at the service line when Juniors called the last timeout of the match and the score sitting at 11-6. On Mary's serve, 16 Gold stormed to a 15-6 victory to claim the 16 Open title.

Congratulations to all of our teams this weekend. Special mention should also be made of Milwaukee Sting 13 Gold who brought home the Silver in 13 Open. After losing their seed on day one, they were able to avenge that loss in the semi's for a place into the finals. It was a great showing by all and we are proud of everyone!

No it's not some twisted take on the American Revolution. It has everything to do with several announcements from three of our own. Sting 18 Black player, Steph ("Lumpy") Kirchner (Hamilton H.S.) has decided to continue playing ball right here in Wisconsin at the University of Wisconsin Platteville. Steph will join the Pioneers Volleyball program in the fall. Teammate Erica Beck (West Bend East H.S.) is going to become a Youngstown Penguin this fall as well. Patti ("P") Abshire (Catholic Memorial H.S.) of Sting 17 Gold has also decided where to go and continue her educational and volleyball goals. Patti will become a Duquesne Duke in the fall of 2011.

Congratulations to all of you!

The first round of the Badger Region Championships has come and gone and Milwaukee Sting's 15 and 17 Gold teams were looking good as they took home the Gold in 15 and 17 Open. In 15 Open, Day two began with Sting 15 Black in the same pool as Sting 15 White. The first set between the two teams was a tight one with 15 Black coming out on top 25-22. They eventually went on to win in two sets. Meanwhile, 15 Gold held on to their number one seed heading into the playoffs.

With their loss to 15 Black, 15 White drew 15 Gold in the first round of playoffs. Once again, 15 White took it to their sister team and fell just short losing 22-25 in the first set. 15 Gold went on to win the match in two. 15 White ended their tournament run holding their seed finishing tied for 5th overall in 15 Open. Sting 15 Black was on the other end of the bracket, also holding their number two seed overall. They won their first match against G-Force Select with scores of 25-18, 25-15.

Both remaining Sting teams battled their way into the finals where both Sting 15 Gold and Sting 15 Black would meet in the 15 Open Finals. 15 Gold came out strong in the first set winning soundly but 15 Black wasn't done fighting. The second set was a strong showing by the group and they took the set to the limit. It was a tight one to the end with 15 Gold winning 25-23.

In 17 Open there was only one Sting vs. Sting matchup as Sting 17 Gold and Sting 17 Black faced eachother in the second round on Sunday morning. 17 Gold came out on top of that match as well as a very tough pool which included WI Juniors 17-1. 17 Gold continued on to the Gold bracket and 17 Black went on to win the Silver bracket taking 5th overall. Sting 17 Gold went through the semi's to meet up with round 2 rival WI Juniors 17-1 once again. Sting came out on top for the win and claimed the 17 Open title for the 2010 Badger Region Championships.

A huge congratulations to both teams for their championship titles and a job well done to our other Sting teams in action for week 1 of the Region Championships. Not only did our teams walk away with two sets of Gold medals but 3 teams (18 Gold, 15 Black, and 12 Gold) took home Silver medals. Four teams landed in the top 5, one more in the top ten and one in the top 15.

Thank you coaches and players for all of your hard work. Thank you parents for all of your support.