CUBA CITY — The second-seeded Cubans (28–3, 11–1 SWAL) completed their nine-set route of the WIAA Divison 3 Regionals with a 25–15, 25–16, 25–13 domination over the third-seeded Cardinals (23–19) on Saturday.
The win also marked number 700 for Cuba City’s head coach, Keri Lawson.
“It has been a journey — when I first started coaching my focus was on not allowing an already established, successful program to fail,” she said. “In more recent years it has evolved into building relationships and providing a culture that helps establish life lessons for our athletes to fall back on in the future.”
Cuban head coach Keri Lawson used one word to describe the team’s game plan coming into Saturday — balance.
“[Balance] is what’s worked for us all week,” Lawson said. “When we come up against other people nowadays, they say ‘so-and-so really turned it on’ and that’s the whole idea.”
“They know Ella [Vosberg] and Lainey [Runde] are going to get the ball,” she added. “All of the hitters in that six-two are firing.”
The six-two Lawson referred to is one-of-three common volleyball formations that teams employ.
The first two sets opened almost exactly the same — both squads fought to a 4-4 head, with the Cubans coming out of the deadlock ahead and holding the lead.
Set one had Cuba City blast out to a 12-7 lead ahead of a Brodhead timeout, with a 5-3 run giving the Cubans a comfortable 17-10 lead.
Lawson signaled for the timeout as her squad sat eight points out from a set one victory.
The break helped the Cubans compose and lock down the set, scoring in eight of the 14 rallies to start with a 1-0 set advantage.
Brodhead opened the second set with a similar intensity to the first, but Cuba City cranked up the pressure yet again.
Alexis Runde (11 kills), Ella Vosberg (10 kills), and Lainey Runde (7 kills) fired on all cylinders the entire game. They helped keep the Cubans just ahead of a Cardinal squad keeping up through a 12-11 split favoring Cuba City.
Assists were consistently dealt by Isabella Digman (16) and Ella McKinley (15), with Olivia Olson (4 assists) occasionally dishing them out.
The Cubans added another trio of points to nab their biggest lead in the second, 15-11, before locking down the rest of the set.
A 10-5 run ensured just one more win on the night would send Cuba City to a Sectional Semifinal showdown next Thursday.
To that end, the Cubans pressed Brodhead hard, opening a 9-4 lead over the Cardinals in set three.
Cuba City continued its dominant play throughout the third, reaching a 20-10 lead, and coasting to the match win on a 5-3 run that ended in a serving error from Brodhead.
Earlier in the week in the opening rounds, the Cubans bested No. 15 seed Prairie du Chien (1-20) 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-12) on Tuesday, and No. 7 seed Fennimore (13-13, 6-6) 3-0 (25-9, 25-19, 25-15) on Thursday.
Stat leaders against the Blackhawks included Vosberg (8 kills, 15 digs), Alexis Runde (10 kills, 12 digs), McKinley (19 assists), and Digman (12 assists).
Vosberg and Lainey Runde led the charge against the Golden Eagles with 12 kills and nine kills, respectively.
Digman and Alexis Runde tied for aces with three each.
On defense, Alexis Runde (11 digs), Olson (7 digs), and Vosberg (5 digs, 4 blocks) made scoring difficult for Fennimore.
Even with the wins, Lawson was looking ahead.
“The intensity is going to pick up [this coming week],” she said. “We’re going to play somebody from conference for Sectionals. Now that this is checked off, if you want to check off anything else, you have to win two this week.”
“We’ll get back to it on Monday,” she added.
Cuba City’s next stop is a trip to No. 1 seed Mineral Point (26-5, 12-0) at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Should they win, the Cubans will travel to Westby to compete in the Sectional Finals against the winner of No. 1 seed Stratford (26-10) versus No. 2 seed Aquinas (20-10).
Division 3 Regional Final
Cuba City 3, Brodhead 0
(from Saturday, Oct. 21 @ Cuba City)
#3 Brodhead 15 16 13
#2 Cuba City 25 25 25
Cuba City stat leaders
Kills: Alexis Runde 11, Ella Vosberg 10, Lainey Runde 7, Maya Misky 6. Blocks: Summer Rogers 2, L. Runde 2. Assists: Isabella Digman 16, Ella McKinley 15, Olivia Olson 4. Aces: Isabella Digman 4. Digs: Vosberg & Olson 12, McKinley 9, A. Runde 7.
Division 3 Regional Quarterfinal
Cuba City 3, Prairie du Chien 0
(from Tuesday, Oct. 17 @ Cuba City)
#15 Prairie du Chien 14 15 12
#2 Cuba City 25 25 25
Cuba City stat leaders
Kills: A. Runde 10, Vosberg & L. Runde 8, Rachel Kraus 7. Blocks: Vosberg 6. Assists: McKinley 19, Digman 12. Aces: McKinley, Vosberg, Digman, Olson, & A. Runde 1. Digs: Vosberg 15, A. Runde 12, Olson 9.
Division 3 Regional Semifinal
Cuba City 3, Fennimore 0
(from Thursday, Oct. 19 @ Cuba City)
#7 Fennimore 20 12 16
#2 Cuba City 25 25 25
Cuba City stat leaders
Kills: Vosberg 12, L. Runde 9, Misky 6. Blocks: L. Runde 5, Vosberg 4. Assists: McKinley 19, Digman 18. Aces: McKinley, Vosberg, Digman, Olson, & A. Runde 1. Digs: A. Runde 11, Olson 7, Vosberg 5.
