Milton senior outside hitter Jordyn Fry (16) hits a cross court shot for a kill to clinch the second set of Saturday’s WIAA Division 1 regional final against Fort Atkinson in Milton.
Milton senior outside hitter Jordyn Fry (16) hits a cross court shot for a kill to clinch the second set of Saturday’s WIAA Division 1 regional final against Fort Atkinson in Milton.
MILTON — The Milton Red Hawks volleyball team took their home court one last time Saturday night against Badger Conference rival Fort Atkinson for a WIAA Division 1 regional final matchup.
No. 4 seed Milton had beaten the No. 5 Blackhawks twice in three matches they played during the regular season, but it was evident from the first serve Saturday night that the rivals were equally matched.
Unfortunately for the Red Hawks, their postseason was cut short as they fell 3-1 to the Blackhawks.
Milton’s typical intensity and focus on defense were present in the first set. Milton (27-6) came out swinging and played its way to an 11-6 lead, but Fort (22-6) and Andi Spies soon came alive on offense and took a 25-20 first-set victory.
Facing a 1-0 deficit, Milton came out in the second set with a new fire. Excellence from the service line — including two aces apiece from Julia Schultz and Hailey Gill — to go along with kills from Gwen Baker and a block from Sara Docken gave the Red Hawks a 13-6 advantage midway through the second set.
The Blackhawks eventually found their footing and took a 16-15 lead. Despite losing their early advantage, Milton continued to battle. Baker came through several times, notching pivotal kills on three separate serves to keep the score tied.
Neither squad could gain much of an advantage on their way to a 25-25 tie. A blocked kill attempt at the net from the Red Hawks was returned out of bounds by the Blackhawks as Milton took a 26-25 lead. With a one-point lead, Milton finally caught the break it needed when Jordyn Fry came through with a kill to give the Red Hawks a 27-25 second-set win.
Despite an early 7-2 lead in the third for the Red Hawks, Milton and Fort Atkinson again fell into a groove where they traded points. Tied 29-29, a Red Hawks serve into the net and another kill from Spies handed the Blackhawks a 31-29 set win and 2-1 advantage in the match.
With their back against the wall and exhaustion kicking in, the Red Hawks had one final set to keep their season alive. Cracks began to split for Milton as miscommunication, missed serves and defensive breakdowns combined. More attacking rallies from Spies and the Blackhawks resulted in a 25-17 set victory — and a regional title — for Fort Atkinson.
“They pushed and they competed,†Milton coach Katie Kinman said about her team. “They definitely gave it their all on the court. Unfortunately, it didn’t fall our way. We kind of hung our heads in the fourth set after not pulling out that third set. It kept going back and forth and we had two key missed serves during crucial times.
“Overall we played as a team, we played hard and our defense adjusted well. They have a phenomenal hitter (in Spies). She hit hard and she competed.â€
Milton’s spectacular season may have ended on a premature note, but the improvement and effort on the court was evident all season. After posting a 10-13 record last season, the Red Hawks went 28-5 in 2023. This jump wouldn’t have been possible without their teamwork and leadership on the court.
“I’m going to remember how hard they worked together,†Kinman said. “The improvement that they made from last year to this year is insane. They put in the work and it showed on the court. I’m going to miss practice and the seniors because they’re something special.â€
