The girls did its part. Now, it’s up to the boys.
The Catholic Memorial girls volleyball team (44-6) has already punched its ticket back to the WIAA Division 2 state tournament when it defeated Kettle Moraine Lutheran in a sectional final match for the fourth straight year last week.
It put them two wins away from its third straight state title and it marked the fifth time in six years the girls team is at the state tournament in Ashwaubenon.
The girls, ranked No. 1 all year in Division 2 and the outright Classic 8 Conference champions, don’t open its state tournament until Friday when it faces Walworth Big Foot (40-4) in the semifinals. That match is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Resch Center.
The Crusaders boys team (26-3) can do its part and make it two-for-two for the Catholic Memorial volleyball program once again by making it to its respective state tournament.
Like the girls, it would also give the team a chance to repeat as state champion.
They must, however, pass one more test.
It comes tonight when the top-seeded Crusaders travel to face third-seeded Kettle Moraine at 7 p.m. in a sectional final match.
Memorial, the Classic 8 Conference champions, is coming off a 25-12, 25-13, 25-14 three-set sweep over fifth-seeded Fort Atkinson in Tuesday’s sectional semifinal match.
Kettle Moraine, meanwhile, is coming off a four-set triumph over second-seeded Waukesha West, a team that was ranked fifth in the latest state poll.
Memorial, ranked second all year to Marquette in the state poll, will try to defeat a surging Kettle Moraine team for the fourth time this year. If they can, it will mark the sixth time in the last eight years the Crusaders will be at the state tournament.
A Catholic Memorial win could also set up the state’s two best teams (CM and Marquette) playing each other in the quarterfinal round next week, as the Crusaders would face the winner of the Marquette/Pius XI match. If Marquette wins it would also be a rematch of the 2010, 2007 and 2004 state championship matches.
The quarterfinal match is scheduled for 5 p.m. Nov. 11 at Wisconsin Lutheran.