Travis Houslet / Daily Register
Lodi junior setter Jaclyn Barrette sets a ball in front of Portage junior Caley Jo McFarlane on Friday in Lodi.

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Warriors advance to regional final; Cambria-Friesland falls

LODI - Trailing 14-12 in the fifth game, Portage's season appeared to be on the verge of ending. But that's just when the Warriors dug down deep for one final rally.

Portage scored four straight points in the final set - including the final point of the night on a Lodi net violation - on the way to a 3-2 (25-16, 17-25, 22-25, 25-17, 16-14) victory over the top-seeded Lodi Blue Devils on Friday night in a Division 2 regional semifinal at Lodi High School.

Lodi had pulled out to a 14-12 lead in the fifth game on an ace from junior Brenna Redemann. The Warriors responded with a kill from junior hitter Mackenzie Ziegler to pull back within a point and then tied the game at 14-all with a huge ace from Lisa Jordahl.

From there, Portage took its first lead of the fifth game at 15-14 when a Lodi tip sailed just wide. After a Lodi timeout, the Warriors were able to end the game and match on a call that had many in the gymnasium confused. Among those who were not sure what the officials had called, and who they had called it on was Portage head coach Joann Armson. But once it became clear that Lodi was being whistled for going under the net, a celebration broke out on the Portage side of the court.

"It's a tough call to have made on the last ball, but I give the referees credit for keeping and calling the game like that. That was great," Armson said. "I had to turn and look at my coaches. The way (the officials) were pointing at the point, I wasn't sure which way it would go. Then it went the other way, so I was like, 'oh man, we won.' Unbelievable game. Absolutely unbelievable game."

There were a number of key points for the Warriors, but perhaps none bigger than the ace served up by Jordahl to tie the fifth game at 14. The Portage senior said she relished the opportunity to be serving with the match on the line.

"It did feel good I guess," Jordahl said. "It pumped us up. It pumped me up. I was excited."

Armson credited Jordahl, who finished with nine kills, for coming through in a number of clutch situations, even if she doesn't always do it in the prettiest of ways.

"We kind of pick on her, because she doesn't all the time hit the ball the most orthodox way, but she gets the job done," Armson said. "She never quits. I can get a smile on her face. She was on the line in a pressure situation and she just did amazing."

The night couldn't have gotten off to a better start for Portage, as they lead the entire way in the opening game. The Blue Devils struggled out of the gates, especially from the service line, where a number of errors made it almost impossible to keep pace with the Warriors, who rolled to a 25-16 win.

Armson said one of the reason's for her team's fast start may have been the fact that it had played an opening-round match on Tuesday, while Lodi opened the tournament with a bye.

"I think that is because we played Tuesday and we got a little bit of our nervousness out," Armson said. "I don't know what the stats were, but (Lodi) missed an awful lot of serves in the first game, which if they didn't could have changed things around."

Lodi responded from the poor start by taking the next two games, including a 25-22 win in the third game that saw the Blue Devils rally from a 22-20 deficit. Portage forced a fifth game with a quick start in game four. The Warriors jumped out to a 15-10 lead that quickly expanded to 20-11 on the way to a 25-17 win.

In the fifth game, Portage trailed the whole way, with it's biggest deficit coming at 8-11. But when the match was on the line, coach Armson's troops came through with its best volleyball.

"We've been doing this sort of thing all year in some of the tournaments and games we've been in. We've been down and we've come back," Armson said. "There is just a different sense about these kids. I don't know what it is. It's just a team that's come together. Nobody is jealous of anybody. It's just one of those amazing dream teams."

The Warriors were led by Ziegler with a match-high 25 kills, while sophomore Hannah Considine came through with six blocks. Junior Sydney Jacobs was the team's leading server with four aces, including a late run of service points in the fourth game that helped Portage force a fifth and deciding contest.

Next up for Portage is a regional final match at 7 p.m. tonight against Madison Edgewood at Monona Grove High School. The Warriors are gunning for the program's first regional championship since 1996, when the Warriors also made their last trip to the state tournament.

Armson said who Portage plays isn't as important as how it plays if wants to advance to its first sectional in 13 years.

"You'll get tendacies of teams, but when it comes down to the bottom line, it's the mental toughness and the basics," Armson said. "I don't care who is on the side of the net. We got to take care of our side of the net and that's exactly what the girls did tonight."

PORTAGE 3, LODI 2

Portage 25 17 22 25 16

Lodi 16 25 25 17 14

PORTAGE (leaders): Kills - Ziegler 25. Blocks - Considine 6. Digs - McFarlane 30. Aces - Jacobs 4. Assists - Drew 33.

LODI: Kills - Redemann 13. Blocks - Mulcahy 4. Digs - Stuard 12. Aces - Ramsfield, Furger, Redemann 2. Assists - Barrette 34.

WAUPUN CENTRAL WISCONSIN CHRISTIAN 3, CAMBRIA-FRIESLAND 1

Cambria-Friesland's goal of a second straight sectional appearance came to a crashing halt on Friday night, as the Toppers were ousted from the Division 4 postseason with a 21-25, 25-18, 25-14, 25-17 loss to Central Wisconsin Christian in Waupun.

Third-seeded Cambria-Friesland got off to a fast start with a 25-21 win in game one, but the second-seeded Crusaders rebounded with impressive 25-18 and 25-14 wins in the next two games, before sending the Toppers home with a 25-17 triumph in the fourth and final game.

Cambria-Friesland 25 18 14 17

Waupun Central Wisconsin Christian 21 25 25 25

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