The Appleton North girls volleyball team celebrates its second set victory during a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal match against Kaukauna on Thursday at Green Bay Preble High School. (Photo by Paul Lecker/AppletonSportsPage.com)

Appleton North girls volleyball survives WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal, rallying to beat Kaukauna

October 26, 2023 plecker

Appleton North’s Teegan Charapata (left) slams a kill attempt and Lainey Frisch (right) dives to return a serve during the Lightning’s WIAA Division 1 girls volleyball sectional semifinal win over Kaukauna on Thursday at Green Bay Preble High School. (Photos by Paul Lecker/AppletonSportsPage.com)

By Paul Lecker
AppletonSportsPage.com

GREEN BAY – The Appleton North girls volleyball team had the end of its season flash before its eyes during its WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal match against Kaukauna on Thursday at Preble High School.

The Lightning lost the opening set 25-20 and trailed 5-0 to start the second, and suddenly needed to find a way to grind their way back in the match.

Following a timeout, North scored seven of the next nine points to even the match, and used a late five-point run to pull ahead, close out the set and even the match. From there, it was all Lightning as they rolled in the final two sets to win 3-1 against their Fox Valley Association rival.

North won 20-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-14, to advance to a Division 1 sectional final against Bay Port on Saturday night at Kimberly High School. The Lightning will shoot for their fourth-straight WIAA state tournament appearance.

Kaukauna led most of the first set before North used a 7-2 run to take an 18-17 lead after a pair of tip kills by Emerson Van Lannen.

The Ghosts regrouped and finished on an 8-2 run to take the first set, sending North back on its heels.

Kaukauna led 5-0 in second set before North found a way to get its top hitter Ella Demetrician active on the front line. She pushed home three kills to bring the Lightning back to even. After a few back-and-forth points, North pulled in front on kills by Teegan Charapata and Demetrician, and closed out the set by scoring seven of the final nine points. Demetrician had eight of her team-high 31 kills in the set.

North dominated the final two sets as Van Lannen was able to set up her teammates consistently and the Lightning were able to escape with the victory.

Van Lannen finished with 37 assists, five kills, five digs and four service aces, Charapata added 11 kills and 12 digs, and Maggie Hahnke had 16 digs in the back row for the Lightning.

Saturday’s match at Kimberly begins at 7 p.m.

Click here to view the statewide WIAA girls and boys volleyball sectional scoreboard & schedule