WIAA Girls Volleyball State Tournament Preview - Division 3

Thursday, November 2nd, 2023 -- 8:43 AM

The 51st State Girls Volleyball Tournament will be held today thru Saturday at the Resch Center in Green Bay.  Of the 472 programs eligible for the girls volleyball tournament, eight teams will play for the State title in Division 1 with four teams still in contention for the State crown in Divisions 2, 3 and 4.  Here's a preview of the Division 3 field.....

LAST YEAR:  Howards Grove, the #1 seed, won its third State championship in a row by sweeping St. Croix Falls, the #2 seed, in three sets 25-23, 25-15, 25-17 in the Division 3 title game.

Girls Division 3

Friday, Nov. 3 - 11:30 a.m.

#1 Howards Grove (29-4) vs. #4 St. Mary Catholic (30-4)

#2 St. Croix Falls (34-2) vs. #3 Cuba City (30-3)

Saturday, Nov. 4 - 11: 30 a.m.

Championship Match

ABOUT THE GIRLS DIVISION 3 FIELD:  Four-time defending champion Howards Grove was issued the top seed in the bracket. The Tigers are making their eighth appearance at State overall. They have won championships in all but one of their previous experiences. In addition to the titles the past four seasons, the Tigers captured the Division 3 crown in 2016 and the Class C championship in 1976 during the pool-play era. The Tigers defeated Lake Country Lutheran 25-17, 25-17, 18-25, 25-21 in the final of the Oostburg Sectional to continue their pursuit of their fifth straight championship. They are the champions of the Blue Division of the Big East Conference this fall. Last season’s runner-up St. Croix Falls is the second seed making its third State appearance, all coming in the last four seasons. The Saints also qualified and lost in the Division 2 semifinals in 2020. They captured the Heart O’ North Conference crown this fall, and then secured their berth in the final four with a 25-14, 25-22, 25-20 sweep over McDonell Catholic in the sectional final played at Barron. Third-seeded Cuba City makes its 12th overall appearance and its first since 2012. The Cubans have won three State titles. Those came in 1990, 1992 and 2007. They have also finished runner-up three times, in 1988, 1991 and 2009. They defeated Aquinas 25-21, 25-21, 26-24 in the Westby Sectional final to return to the State semifinals. The Cubans placed second in the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League this season. St. Mary Catholic will experience the State Tournament for the first time in the program’s history following its 21-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-12 conquest of Marshall in the final of the Hartford Union Sectional. The Zephyrs finished first in the Red Division of the Big East Conference.

FINALS TO AIR ON WIAA STATE TELEVISION NETWORK:  Watch the live broadcast of the WIAA State Boys and Girls Volleyball Tournament finals Saturday on the WIAA State Television Network of stations.  In our area:

Wausau

WAOW 9.2

Spectrum 14/610

TDS channel 35/1035

DISH Channel 10

Solarus Channel 10

La Crosse

WXOW 19.2

Spectrum 15/610

Mediacom 4/9/10/133/820

Eau Claire

WQOW 18.2

Spectrum 15/610

The finals will also be streamed live on the WIAA State Television Network station websites at no cost or registration on WKOW.com, WAOW.com, WXOW.com and WQOW.com. In addition, watch the championship finals live on the 27 News Now, News 9 WAOW , WXOW News 19 La Crosse and WQOW News apps.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.