Dons strike silver at state volleyball tournament

MARSHFIELD – Twenty matches into the 2024 season, the Columbus Catholic volleyball team was 10-10 and twice lost four straight. But an 11-5 run – including a nine-match win streak – propelled the red-hot Dons into the postseason.
With a top seed going into the playoffs, the Dons defeated eighth-seeded Augusta and No. 4 Athens in straight sets in the Regionals, before fighting off second-seeded Gilman in four sets in a Sectional semifinal Oct. 31 at Columbus High School.
The Dons then beat Royall in straight sets in the Almond-Bancroft sectional final Nov. 2 to continue their road to the Resch Center.
In their inaugural trip to the WIAA state tournament, Columbus Catholic earned a spot in the Div. 5 finals, eventually falling to top-seeded Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran. For their efforts, the Dons captured the silver state runner-up trophy.
Columbus had been issued the No. 2 seed in the state tournament.

In the state semifinal, the Dons beat third-seeded Newman Catholic, last year’s Div. 4 runner-up.
After dropping the first set 19-25, the Dons beat the Cardinals 30-28, 25-23, 25-20 in the state semifinals on Nov. 7 to advance to the title match Nov. 9 at the Resch Center in Green Bay. In the final set, Columbus - trailing 17-13 - scored eleven straight points.
In the Div. 5 championship match, the Lancers overwhelmed the Dons, scoring the first eight points and cruising to a 10-25 win.
In the second set, Columbus used eight straight points to jump out to a 10-3 lead, before the Lancers used a 14-7 run to tie the set at 17. But three straight points gave the Dons a lead they would not surrender, winning the set, 25-23.
Columbus took an early lead in the third set, but four straight points gave the Lancers a lead they would not let go, and they won the set 19-25.
A hard-fought fourth set, which featured nine lead changes, also went to Eau Claire.
Five straight points gave Columbus a 17-14 lead, but the Lancers used a 7-2 run to grab the lead.
Two points by the Dons tied the match at 21, but Eau Claire scored four straight to capture the win and the state title.
During the title match, Shelby Spata set a new state tournament record – in all divisions – with ten service aces, which also eclipsed the record for a four-set match, held previously by four other players with eight.
The Dons end their season with a record of 26-16.