The Calumet High School varsity volleyball team poses after winning the Ashwaubenon Invitational volleyball tournament last weekend in Ashwaubenon, Wis. (Submitted Photo)

ASHWAUBENON, Wis. — After Calumet’s many years of heading south to the Green Bay area and being unsuccessful in their quest for the Ashwaubenon Varsity Invitational championship, their drought came to an end this past Saturday.

The Calumet girls donned their winning medals with pride before heading home.

The girls volleyball squad lost just two sets in their five-game, one-day tournament run. There were two pools of four. In volleyball-tournament play, teams play the best of three sets. If a third set is needed, the winner is determined at 15 points and not 25.

The Copper Kings opened their pool play with a 2-1 win against Hilbert with scores of 16-25, 25-17,15-9. Green Bay New Lutheran fell next at 25-12, 25-14. The Ashwaubenon Jaguars were the Copper Kings following victim at 25-12, 25-12.

With the sweep in pool play, the Copper Kings advanced to the semifinals and faced Wrightstown. However they wasted no time in sweeping them away with wins of 25-18 25-20 and then it was on to the finals against the Seymour Thunder.

The Copper Kings dropped the opening set of the tournament championship against Seymour 20-25 and opened the second set down 14-20 before battling back to win 25-23. The Kings went on to win the deciding third set 15-11.

Calumet volleyball coach Kate Bonacorsi couldn’t have been happier with her girls’ all-day performance.

“The girls served aggressively all day, and found ways to score,” she said. “The girls showed a lot of nerve persevering in close sets, especially in the championship match.”

Tournament leaders for the Copper Kings included Lizzie Torola with 15 aces and 25 kills. Laina Kareniemi had 7 aces and 50 assists while Helen Beiring notched 11 aces, 39 kills and 10 digs. Calumet libero Jana Loukus had four aces and 41 digs. Mallie Anderson recorded two aces and 23 assists. Ila Goulette hit 23 kills and Alexis Strom tallied 21 digs.

“We faced some good competition, and it was exciting to compete and have success,” Bonacorsi said. “I’m really proud of the way the girls supported each other and how focused they were.”

Calumet visits Hancock today.