Senior smash for Port

The Port Washington High School girls’ volleyball team had beaten Plymouth in a tournament earlier this season, but the Panthers came into last Thursday’s match ahead of the Pirates in the Glacier Trails Conference standings.

Not anymore. The Pirates dominated on an emotional senior night, 25-16, 25-21, 25-15. Both teams are now 3-2 in the GTC, along with Kewaskum.

Port’s four seniors emphasized the bond this team has built under second-year coach Cathleen Flannery.

“There was one specific point when we looked at each other and we stayed in for just a second longer. When that happened, we all just knew it doesn’t matter what happens with the game. It matters more about what we do for each other,” Sierra Hoeft said.

“I’m with these girls two, three hours every single day of the week. I’m always excited to go to practice. They’re basically like my family because I’m spending more time with them than my family at this point,” Emersyn Loose said.

Summer Wille said the same thing — “It’s like another family to me. It’s everything.”

For Myla Giese, volleyball helped her adjust to a new school after attending Ozaukee Middle School.

“Being a part of the volleyball program really made me feel like (part of) a family,” she said. Flannery, she said, is “an amazing coach, and the girls on this team really are something special. It’s very rare to come across a team like this.”

Wille had eight kills, Scarlett Van Harpen had seven and Hoeft and Kiley Cline each had six. Van Harpen had five blocks. Loose had 12 digs. Harlow Albiero had 16 assists and Hoeft had 14.

Flannery said her 38-minute drive to the school now feels like five minutes.

“The closer I get when I drive here, the more excited I get to be around these girls. Their personality and love for this sport just make it all well worth it,” he said.

Port, 18-9, plays at New Berlin West on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Grafton sweeps a pair

Grafton swept the Owls at Slinger on Oct. 6, 25-12, 30-28, 25-12, and swept Menomonee Falls at home on Oct. 8, 25-17, 25-16, 25-22.

Paige Proefrock and Grace Tilley each had nine kills against Slinger. Addison Lempke had eight, and Brooke Vanden Berg had seven. Tilley and Abbey Barthelemy each had five aces. Barthelemy had 13 digs, and Proefrock had 12. Paige Arentz had 20 assists, and Ava Dotson had 10.

Against Falls, Proferock had 11 kills, and Tilley had seven. Barthelemy had 16 digs. Dotson had 14 assists, and Arentz had 12.

Grafton was to host Cedarburg for the North Shore Conference title on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Both are 5-0 in the NSC. The Black Hawks, 25-6 overall, host West De Pere on Saturday, Oct. 17.