Xavier girls volleyball outlasts Fox Valley Lutheran in five-set thriller

By Dustin Riese
For AppletonSportsPage.com

APPLETON – Although they may not be in the same conference, the Fox Valley Lutheran and Xavier rivalry remains strong as they renewed their annual clash on the volleyball court on Tuesday at Xavier High School.

After watching the Foxes pick up a straight-set victory in an early-season matchup, the teams were at it again as the Hawks had revenge on their mind.

Unlike the last time these teams met when the Foxes handled Xavier fairly easily, it was the Hawks turning the tables in an instant classic that went down to the fifth and final set. In the end, it was the Hawks finding a way to get it done in that final set as they pulled out a 3-2 win.

Xavier won 25-20, 18-25, 25-13, 18-25, 16-14, to improve to 9-5 overall this season.

“The Hawks showed a lot of resilience and grit tonight,” Xavier head coach Luke Herriges said. “FVL is a very good team and they pushed us hard, but we responded in a positive way and kept pushing forward.”

Elle Downs helped the Hawks with one of her two kills in the early stages of the match as the Hawks held a 6-5 lead.

It was at that point when the Foxes began to impose their will a little bit with Hannah Draeger playing a role in that. The middle blocker had a great night at the front of the net with 18 assists, five blocks and five kills, but it was her ability from the service line that helped the Foxes open up a 13-9 advantage before they pushed their lead to 18-14. As did the Foxes earlier in the set, it was the Hawks battling back playing with a sense of urgency. 

Ali Tylinski came away with a massive ace to tie things up at 18 before a Madison Daley tip sparked a late-game run that saw the Hawks open up a 23-20 lead before closing things out 25-20.

Looking to rebound from their first set loss, the Foxes found themselves in another close battle early in the second set before they started to seize command. This time it came from outside hitter Alaina Patchett, who finished the match with 23 assists and six kills. 

Alaina Patchett did a great job setting her teammates up all match as Ava Patchett and Greta Nolte used those assists to come away with kills to help the Foxes open up an 11-4 lead. Nolte finished second on the team with nine kills as FVL had 48 total kills in the match. Despite controlling things early on, it was the Hawks battling back as their senior leader Daley continued to make things happen at the net.

Daley was a problem all night for the Foxes as her ability to keep plays alive with 14 digs helped Xavier maintain possession only to have her team-best 19 kills lead the comeback charge as the Hawks were within 17-16 and threatening to take the second set. That was as close as things would get the rest of the way as a Kenzie Loberger ace pushed the FVL back to 21-16 before they closed things out 25-18 to even the match.

This was the theme of the night for both sides as neither team could gain consistent control, while also displaying the great all-around talent that both programs possess. The back-and-forth nature of the match continued with Xavier dominating the third set 25-13 only to have FVL force a fifth and final set 25-18. 

It was the third set that stood out as the Hawks played as close to flawless as possible. Whether it was Daley upfront finding ways to dominate at the net, or the ability of Sydney Neilitz to set her team up with a portion of her 34 assists, the Hawks were starting to find the rhythm they have been searching for in the early season and it was paying off. 

Facing an all or nothing fourth set, FVL knew they had to bring the same intensity Xavier brought during the third set and for the most part they did. Sophia Wunderlich and Hannah Uhlenbrauck played a part in that as they combined for 18 kills in the match, with Wunderlich leading the way with 11. A handful of those came in the fourth set as her presence at the net in that set was starting to stand out.

“Our kids played hard and weathered some momentum changes, especially battling back after the third set” Fox Valley Lutheran coach Wendy Bixby said. “A team like Xavier isn’t going to fold, so we knew it would be a battle. I’m encouraged to see that our players battled it out for five sets.”

However, had it not been for FVL libero Riley Schmitz, this match may not have even gotten to the final set as she had an incredible night. Although she may not show up in the stat column as much as her teammates, Schmitz was one of the main reasons why the Foxes managed to battle back. Not only did she have a team-high 25 digs, but she was throwing her body around all match long and doing what she needed to do to force a fifth set. 

“Riley is a great defensive player and we give her a lot of court to cover,” Bixby said. “She’s quick and definitely gives a boost with her dogged play.”

Judging by the effort from both teams, neither team wanted to let this one get away, but as is the case in sports there has to be a winner and a loser. Xavier found a way to get it done as the Hawks survived a fifth set thriller 16-14 to claim the match 3-2 and earned a massive nonconference win. Despite a young team this season, the Hawks continue to grow as a unit which is all you can ask for as a coach.

“The kids did a great job leaning into each other when the pressure mounted,” Herriges said. “I am very proud of our team and how much we have grown so far this season.”

Both teams are back in action Thursday as Xavier plays at Green Bay East and Fox Valley Lutheran is at home against Wrightstown.