D.C. Everest Volleyball advances in playoffs on 12th straight win

Jayson Coleman
Sports Reporter
D.C. Everest volleyball defeated the Wausau East Lumberjacks in three sets last Thursday in a first round WIAA playoff matchup. The Evergreens won the first set by a score of 25-17, then won each of the last two sets by a score of 25-11.
D.C. Everest came into the playoffs as a 4-seed after finishing the regular season with a 24-7 record and a 9-1 record in Wisconsin Valley Conference play, winning the conference. The victory over East marked Everest’s twelfth in a row, a streak dating back to their tournament victory over Eau Claire Memorial on Sept. 26.
Wausau East entered the tournament as a 13-seed, having finished their regular season with a 5-25 record, going winless in conference play.

The story of the match was Everest getting the early lead in each set and never letting go of it. Apart from when the Evergreens and Lumberjacks were tied at one early in the third set, D.C. Everest held the lead for the entire match.
Given the seeding and record difference between the two teams, Wausau East was entering the match as a major underdog. Lumberjacks head coach Theran Peterson, though, told his team throughout the week to use that to their advantage.
“I told them before the game that we have zero pressure on us,” Peterson said. “We have absolutely nothing to lose, so let’s go out there and play loose and have fun together. We found that we play much better individually and as a team when we’re having fun, smiling, talking, moving, all those things work together.”
Despite the loss, the positivity on the Lumberjacks’ side of the court was evident throughout the game. Peterson said that attitude helped them stay persistent throughout the whole match, especially after a competitive first set.
“We didn’t get down,” Peterson said. “Playing them competitive in that first set certainly made a difference in the huddle, like, ‘we can do this, we just have to believe in ourselves.’ If you can bring some positive energy, sure we might lose, but we’re going to be satisfied with our result. You can walk off this court and say, ‘I gave it everything I had, they were the better team, and I can tip my hat to them.’”
Peterson said he was proud of the hard work his athletes put in to balance school with volleyball. For next season, though, he hopes that, with the help of this year’s underclassmen, they can build a culture around that hard work and translate it into success on the court.
As for D.C. Everest, head coaches Brandon Radloff and Morgan Kurtenbach said what’s been working well for them is not having to change their gameplan.
“Our offense has remained consistent and we haven’t had much variation in our lineup, so having that consistency is key for us,” Radloff said.
That consistency has carried over to the team dynamic and how well the Evergreens play and mesh with each other.
“We have eight seniors, so having the majority of the team come in with so much history together, the chemistry was inherent when the season started,” Radloff said. “When you have the underclassmen come in, they just fit into the slots that were left open.”
“Having good leaders allowed us to have that established team chemistry,” Radloff and Kurtenbach added.
Kurtenbach said that before the match, her and Radloff wanted to instill into the team to play their best each game, regardless of their opponent. That message resonated with the team as, despite their lower-seeded opponent, Radloff and Kurtenbach thought the Evergreens played one of their best all-around matches of the season.
“Our blocking was the best we’ve probably seen all season,” Radloff said. “We’ve been comparable in the past, but this was the most consistent we’ve been across the entire match with blocks and being scrappy. Sometimes it’s hard to keep [scrappiness] going in between matches, but today our defense did amazing.”
Kurtenbach also said she thought the team did a great job at serving, especially from senior Ailsa Chmielewski.
D.C. Everest’s win streak hasn’t changed any of their goals for the postseason, instead only strengthening them.
“See us at State,” Radloff said.
D.C. Everest won their regional final on Saturday against Stevens Point in three sets, increasing their win streak to 13 matches. Their next match is on Thursday Oct. 29 at 5:00 p.m. at Stevens Point Area Senior High where they’ll play top-seeded Bay Port