Spartans stun Eagles’ spikers

In 1785 Robert Burns wrote “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Today, that saying still holds true. Just ask Sauk Prairie’s girls volleyball team. The Eagles were the No. 2 seed in their WIAA Division 1 sectional and hoped for a big postseason run. Instead, Sauk Prairie fell to seventh-seeded and visiting Madison Memorial, 25-21, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22, last Saturday. The Eagles, who reached the state tournament in 2020 and 2022, had hoped for a return trip, but saw those dreams end at regionals. “We suffered a hard loss,” Eagles coach Allison Steinmetz said. “Not the way we wanted our season to end, but I am still proud of all the hard work that my girls put in throughout the season.” There was plenty to be proud of. Sauk Prairie finished the year 26-7. The Eagles went 7-0 and win the Badger Small Conference dual meet season. And Sauk Prairie had 11- and 14-match winning streaks this season. But the Eagles couldn’t find a way to slow down a Madison Memorial (20-6) squad that has gotten better throughout the year and has now won 10 of 11 matches. “There were a lot of factors that went into (the loss), but some of the key ones that stood out to me were that our team was not 100% in health,” Steinmetz said. “We had a few key players that were still recovering from sickness.  “We also were not as strong behind the serving line as we previously were. Finally we let a lot of balls drop that never should have hit the floor.” Mallory Hartwig led the Eagles with 16 kills and 26 digs, while Greta Shadewald had 42 assists, three kills, 10 digs and two aces. Marisa Kruckman had 11 kills and seven digs, while Gracyn Meyer had seven kills, two blocks and two digs. Alaina Kraemer had six kills and five digs, Ella Logterman had three aces, Mackenna Murphy had 14 digs and Bentley Conway had four digs. Sauk Prairie also defeated Madison East 25-11, 25-18, 25-5 in a regional semifinal last Thursday. Hartwig led the way with nine kills and eight digs, while Kruckman had eight kills and six aces. Kraemer had 28 assists and six aces, while Murphy had eight digs.   Despite the loss, Steinmetz and the Eagles were awfully proud of what they accomplished this year — and were already looking forward to 2025. “The things that I remember the most about this season is how much dedication these girls have,” Steinmetz said. “They all love the game of volleyball and put in lots and lots of extra hours on and off the court to make the 2024 season a memorable one. I am beyond thankful for the leadership that all five of my seniors led with this year.  “The girls on our team are remarkable athletes, students and community members and I am honored to have been a part of their 2024 season. I have no doubt that with the returners that we have (in 2025) we’ll be in good hands.”