t’s one of the best times of the year for local sports fans. The fall postseason is in full swing, several area volleyball programs are preparing for trips to the state tournament, and high school football teams are getting closer to punching their tickets to Wisconsin Rapids. There’s also plent y happening at the college level, with UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout athletics entering another busy stretch as winter sports begin to take center stage. Let’s take a look at what’s happening around the Chippewa Valley and beyond. Five Area Volleyball Teams Headed to State The Chippewa Valley and surrounding communities will be well represented at the WIAA Girls Volleyball State Tournament in Green Bay, with five area programs earning their spots. Chippewa Falls (Division 1) Chippewa Falls has put together an impressive postseason run to earn the sixth seed in Division 1. The Cardinals will face Bay Port on Thursday at 5 p.m. at the Resch Center. What makes this team particularly interesting is its youth. Unlike many state tournament teams that rely heavily on experienced players, Chippewa Falls has just three seniors, with a large portion of its roster made up of freshmen and sophomores. The Cardinals have grown throughout the season, and that development has been evident in the postseason. They defeated River Falls on the road in the sectional semifinals before knocking off top-seeded Hudson in five sets in the sectional championship. A big part of their success has been their ability to play together, defend well, and serve aggressively. Their serving approach can be risky, but it’s also helped make opposing teams uncomfortable. McDonell (Division 4) McDonell enters the state tournament as the top seed in Division 4 and will take on its next opponent after putting together a dominant postseason. The Macks have not dropped a set in the playoffs, including victories over highly ranked Webster and Edgar. This is an experienced group, with all seven players in the rotation having multiple years of experience and four seniors leading the way. McDonell has been a consistently strong program, but getting back to state has been a goal. After falling short in previous postseason opportunities, the team made adjustments and found another gear when it mattered most. Stanley-Boyd (Division 3) Stanley-Boyd is heading to state for the first time in 20 years after defeating Fall Creek in straight sets in the sectional championship. The Orioles have also been dominant during the postseason, not dropping a set along the way. Stanley-Boyd is another relatively young team, with just two seniors. Kelly Lu has been one of the top hitters in Division 3, while libero Kenny Reed has been a key contributor. After years of being a consistently competitive program, the Orioles have finally gotten over the postseason hurdle and earned their trip to Green Bay. Turtle Lake (Division 5) Turtle Lake enters the state tournament as the top seed with a 20-10 record. Don’t let that record fool you, though. The Lakers have played a challenging schedule that included several larger schools, helping prepare them for postseason competition. They punched their ticket to state by defeating Winter in the sectional championship. Turtle Lake will open the tournament Thursday morning against Seneca. Barron (Division 2) Barron has continued its impressive run despite moving up from Division 3 to Division 2. The Bears have continued to win and will take on Kettle Moraine Lutheran in the Division 2 semifinals on Friday. It’s another opportunity for an area program to showcase just how much volleyball talent exists throughout the region. One common theme among these teams is that they’ve been tested. Playing strong competition throughout the regular season has helped prepare them for the postseason. A great record is nice, but facing quality opponents can make all the difference when the pressure is at its highest. High School Football: The Road to State Continues The high school football playoffs are reaching another critical point, with several area matchups worth watching this week. Gilman vs. Owen-Withee The Division 7 playoffs will feature an all-North Central East Conference showdown between Gilman and Owen-Withee. Gilman won the regular-season meeting, but it was a competitive game by the team’s standards. The 36-6 victory was actually Gilman’s closest margin of victory all season. Both programs know each other extremely well, making this an interesting coaching matchup. The challenge will be finding ways to mix things up without straying too far from what has made each team successful. The winner advances to the state championship game in Wisconsin Rapids on November 14. Mondovi vs. Regis One of the biggest area matchups this week comes in Division 6, where Mondovi and Regis will meet again. Mondovi handled Regis in their first meeting, but a postseason rematch could be a different story. Mondovi has been outstanding over the past several weeks, but Regis will certainly be looking to make things more competitive this time around. It’s arguably the premier matchup in the area this week. Glenwood City vs. Boyceville Another interesting matchup comes in Division 7, where Glenwood City and Boyceville will square off. These familiar conference opponents played a close game during the regular season, with Boyceville coming away with the victory. Glenwood City enters as the top seed, while Boyceville is the third seed after an impressive postseason run. The winner will continue its pursuit of a state championship. Other Games to Watch There are plenty of other teams worth keeping an eye on: St. Croix Falls and Grantsburg will meet in Division 5. Durand-Arkansaw will travel to Darlington for another challenging matchup. Hudson continues its Division 1 postseason run after defeating Chippewa Falls twice and winning on the road at Verona. New Richmond, the Big Rivers Conference champion and top seed, will host Brookfield Central. The next round of games will determine which teams move one step closer to Wisconsin Rapids. Cross Country: Outstanding Local Performances at State There was also plenty to celebrate at the WIAA State Cross Country Meet. Eau Claire Memorial’s Will Pongonis finished second in the Division 1 boys race, putting together an outstanding performance. On the girls side, Bloomer’s Leah Hartman captured the Division 1 individual championship and set a new state meet record across all divisions. Her performance was especially impressive considering the previous record had just been reset the year before. The Menomonie girls finished third as a team, while Bloomer finished fourth. It was another strong showing for area runners on one of the biggest stages of the season. UW-Eau Claire: The War on 94 Is Back The UW-Eau Claire football team continues to put together an impressive season, sitting at 6-2 after a big victory over UW-La Crosse. With just two regular-season games remaining, the Bluegolds have plenty to play for. One of the biggest stories has been the performance of running back Paxson Rothmeier, who rushed for 300 yards in the win over La Crosse. Now comes the annual War on 94 matchup against UW-Stout, giving the Bluegolds another opportunity to build momentum. It’s shaping up to be an exciting rivalry game, especially with both teams having plenty to play for. The game will air on Sports Talk 105.1 FM and 790 AM, with Pete Knudson handling the broadcast. Pregame coverage begins at 12:40 p.m., with kickoff scheduled for 1:05 p.m. UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire Winter Sports Get Underway As fall sports begin wrapping up, winter sports are starting to take over the schedule. UW-Stout basketball gets underway with the women’s team taking on Augsburg and the men’s team facing Calvin University. UW-Eau Claire men’s basketball will open its season Friday against Calvin at the Sonnentag Event Center before taking on Macalester on Monday. The Bluegold women’s basketball program also begins a new chapter with head coach Hannah Iverson leading the way. UW-Eau Claire will host its tip-off tournament, facing Simpson College on Saturday and Carroll University on Sunday. There’s plenty more happening across both campuses, including hockey, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, swimming and diving, and cross country. It’s that familiar transition period when fall sports are winding down and winter sports are just getting started. A Busy Time for Local Sports From five area volleyball teams heading to Green Bay to high school football teams battling for a spot in Wisconsin Rapids, there’s no shortage of exciting local sports stories. Add in the outstanding cross country performances and the action happening at UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout, and it’s easy to see why this is such a fun time of year for sports fans throughout the Chippewa Valley. There’s a lot to celebrate, and plenty more games and moments still to come. ...read more read less