Holmen volleyball has tough test in 1st-ever state tourney

A first time to the state tournament and no time to take anything in for the Holmen High School volleyball team.

The Vikings will be the first game played in the WIAA state volleyball tournament and they’ll be taking on the defending Division 1 champs, who have yet to lose a set in the playoffs.

Holmen (29-2) received the seventh seed in the eight-team tournament and will face No. 2 Appleton North (39-6-1) at 1 p.m. Thursday from the Resch Center in Green Bay.

This is the second-consecutive trip to state for the Lightning, who won an alternate-state tournament last spring — taking the championship in three sets. North lost in the quarterfinals in 2019.

The Vikings are coming off a 3-2 win over Middleton to reach their first-ever state tourney.

The winner will play at 1 p.m. Friday in the semifinals against either No. 3 Brookfield Central or sixth-seeded River Falls. The championship is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.