It’s always interesting when the Janesville Journal covers a game between the schools we cover: Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton and St. Clair. Since the two volleyball teams never played against each other in the regular season, it will be an interesting match to see who comes out on top. Will the Cyclones storm past the Bulldogs? Or will the under-Dawgs get the upset?
With the regular season concluded and Section play starting on Monday, October 20, the Cyclones are primed to shake off the mistakes of the playoff past. A season filled with high-powered attacks, a record-breaking setter, and nine seniors leading the charge, these Lady Cyclones have not only met expectations; they’ve shattered them completely.
Though they failed to complete their goal of becoming South Central Conference Champions, their 8-2 record placed them second for the second straight season. An 18-3 season record marks the highest win total in recent memory and the best set of performances as a team under Coaches Ashley & Tyler Sander.
On the other side of the net for the first round will be Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, a team that has seen some recent success itself (including its first winning record in many years in 2024) but has struggled since joining Section 2AA in 2023. Like St. Clair, the Lady Dawgs have nine seniors. Toryn Richards has learned a ton in her first year as head coach and is hoping to coach the team to its first playoff win since 2022, when they defeated Mankato Loyola 3-0 in the Section 2A play-in round.
While the Cyclones have been dominant in their campaign, the Bulldogs have been up-and-down. Going 10-13 overall, they ended the regular season 7th out of 11 teams in the Gopher Conference, posting a 4-6 record in conference play. They are also winless against the other 2AA teams so far, although they haven’t played a section foe outside of their conference.
St. Clair’s season in a nutshell
After dropping their first match to MCW back on August 28, St. Clair quickly established their dominance on the court with a seven-game winning streak–dropping only two sets during that stretch. They even enacted a measure of revenge against their rival, the LCWM Knights, in a compelling four-set match on September 16, though that team was able to counter in a five-set thriller on October 4 during the Dig’nPink event. It remains to be seen if playoff destiny will have these two squads battle again, but it’s clear that they represent the pinnacle of what team volleyball is: devastating attacks, unbreakable bonds, and indomitable wills.
While excellent team play has kept the Cyclones competitive throughout the season, individual efforts of its star players are worth noting: Senior Brooklyn Meng entered the pantheon of Cyclone greats during the team’s first match against MCW; she became the fourth player in St. Clair history to reach 1,000 set assists in a career. She’d finish the regular season with 641 set assists. Her court vision has set up her high-flying teammates on the attack, and her tenacity at the net makes her a difficult assignment–her quick strike is a lethal “gotchya” moment that stuns opposing defenses.
A defeat to Le-Sueur Henderson on September 25 critically impacted the SCC standings which motivated St. Clair to refocus and close out the season on a strong note. Commanding victories over the Loyola Crusaders during Homecoming week, a second-place finish in their weekend tournament, and decisively winning five of their last six matches bring a wave of confidence for the Cyclones to carry them toward victory.
Throughout the 2025 season, the Cyclones implemented a devastatingly well-rounded attack with a total 842 kills; a trio of strikers in Payton Blount, Ashlyn DeMartini, and Brooklin Hinze have taken immense pride in hammering vicious strikes and striking fear into the hearts of defenders at the net. These three combined for 589 kills, nearly 70% of the team’s total offense, but other strikers like Meng, Paige St. Peter, and Haddie Jobe have delivered kills when needed most. Sophomore Payton Blount stood out as the top terror at the net with 292 kills of her own. She may be one of the younger Varsity players on the squad, but Bazooka Blount has played well above her station as one of the premier strikers in the region. Relentless on the attack, Bazooka Blount commands immediate attention every time she rises, winds back, and blasts a shot down the line. She set a new team record for single-match kills (23) against LCWM on September 16 only to shatter it a fortnight against GHEC to set the record at 26.
Offense can carry a team far, but it takes an immovable defense and an unbreakable serve to survive in an intense volleyball match. The Cyclones had a tremendous serving 94.9 serving percentage and 155 aces on the season–Hinze and Jobe led the pack with 36 and 28 aces, respectively. Assuming the libero role once more for her senior season, Aubree Mathiowetz is the “Queen of all Trades” on the court with her adaptability on the dig, a flawless serve game, and the occasional set assist that sets up her strikers. More impactful has been her leadership as the defensive specialist that keeps her team alive during key points in a match; the amount of punishment endured while absorbing the opposition’s furious assault can be daunting, but Mathiowetz has embraced these hardships and has helped propel her team to victory more times than not.
With the regular season behind them, St. Clair prepares for its opening Section playoff match against JWP on Monday, October 20. Though an impressive season on both sides of the court, these Cyclones know there is still work to be done before they may rest. Coach A. Sander maintains a calm demeanor as her team heads into the postseason, reminding them to stay focused amongst all the chaos and passion. “We’re excited to host a playoff game and embrace the environment our home fans will bring, but to us, this is just another game. We are going to enter the game the same way we have all season…if we take care of the ball on our side of the net, things will go well for us.”
JWP’s season in a nutshell
The 10-13 record doesn’t tell the story of JWP’s season that well. Over a third of the losses occurred when they began the season with a five-game losing streak. Out of the five games they lost, three went to five sets. Medford, who is seeded lower than JWP in the Section 2AA tournament, got an upset win against the Bulldogs in that losing streak, reversing a 2-0 lead by JWP and coming out of the contest 3-2.
The Lady Dawgs finally got their first win of the season against Bethlehem Academy, another close game that went to five sets. That win seemed to be the turning point that helped them gain some confidence, as they went on a six-game winning streak, including going 3-1 at the St. James tournament and 2-2 at Nicollet’s tournament.
After the six-game win streak that put the team at 5-5, the girls finished the second half of the season 4-8. Many of the losses in that stretch were against great teams like Kenyon-Wanamingo, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva, Triton, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, and Cedar Mountain. They defeated conference foe United South Central twice in that stretch (once in Nicollet) and took down Martin Luther-GHEC-Truman and Nicollet.
Some of JWP’s greatest strengths include stellar serving and blocking upfront. They have a few players who are 5’9” or taller, including freshman Ashlynn Wolff, who, according to the roster sheet, is six feet. That height has helped them win many battles in front of the net. Wolff has especially been impressive with her blocking ability up front.
The seniors have been exceptional at leading the team. Many nights, captain Katie Olson has led the team in kills, and it’s not unusual for her to reach double digits in that category. She’s also been great with serving, as she hit six aces in JWP’s last home game against USC. Fellow captain Nevaeh Weimert has also been an X-factor for the team. She hit 1,000 career set assists at the Nicollet tournament in late September and had six ace serves against USC during senior night. Mikayla Wheelock has also provided some work up front, whether that’s getting a shot past the opposing team for kills or getting a well-placed block on the ball.
Many senior players who didn’t receive regular starts on varsity (or just joined this year) have also contributed. Aubrey Adams has been great at blocking and taking advantage of bad bumps from opponents toward the net and finding the perfect placement for easy kills. Brielle James has also been killing it, literally, as she’s been close to hitting double digits in that category. Captain and defensive specialist Lilly Ewert can always be relied upon to provide an ace or two a game, and Victoria Blomstrom, who joined varsity this year as a senior, has shown she can supply some offense with the occasional ace serve here and there.
The freshmen have shown their potential, too. As mentioned earlier, Wolff has been great with her blocking, but she’s also been able to find holes in other teams’ rotation for the occasional kill or three. Kaitlyn Cowdin has also been a contributor throughout the season, whether that’s by getting a well-deserved ace serve or by launching herself at a speeding ball for the dig.
One thing that Coach Richards wanted the team to work on throughout the season was being aggressive. She also touted the team’s willingness to persevere. “Many teams would have probably given up on themselves with the year we’ve had,” she said. “But I’m proud of them for keeping their heads up and working at it.”
Defeating a hard-working and talented juggernaut like St. Clair is going to take the Lady Dawgs giving all they have throughout each set. One thing the ladies are going to need to focus on is limiting unforced errors and communicating. If the occasional mistake does come, they need to keep their composure and focus on the next play. Richards knows that the team wants it every night; it’s about wanting it more than the other team.
