Cadott 1996 State team celebrates accomplishments
By Julia Wolf
For Cadott’s 1996 State volleyball team, their accomplishments on the court are just one of the things they can celebrate, as they look back 25 years later. Their teamwork and the community support also served to make special memories for the players.
A 25-year celebration of the team that earned the title of Division 3 State runner-ups, took place during a Cadott volleyball home game, Oct. 5, with recognition of the players and coaches.
The 1996 team was destined to go far, starting by winning the non-conference season opener, followed by some tournaments, then conference. They ended the regular season with 59 wins and 11 losses.
Cadott breezed through sub-regionals, squeezed by Bloomer in the first round of the Regional championship and beat Stanley-Boyd to advance. They swept the Phillips Sectional, beating Cameron, Grantsburg and Spring Valley, to advance to State.
The team won the first round of the State tournament, but came up shy, despite good effort, against Dodgeville, the defending champions, in the championship game.
“We should have almost went to State the year before, to be honest,” said 1996 coach Tricia Dresel.
Dresel says the team lost out in the Sectional finals the year before, by one point. The team says that loss spurred them on and motivated them to work even harder during the 1996 season.
Players said those efforts to improve started at Day 0, right after the loss during the 1995 season, with many of them getting together to play over summer.
The State trophy wasn’t the only award the team brought home from the State tournament. Cadott also won recognition in the form of the 1996 State Volleyball Sportsmanship Award, given to one team from the tournament.
Players remember the community stepped up to support the team and help make the trip to State special for them, something that is still one of the most memorable aspects of the season for them. The team received all sorts of items from the community, such as towels with their names on it, hair products and a wide variety of other things, to take on the bus.
“It was only the second time ever in Cadott history,” said Dresel, of the volleyball team making it to State. “It was a big deal.”
The team even got to ride on the fire trucks when they returned home from the tournament.
All six starters earned Western Cloverbelt All-Conference honors that year, something that almost never happens.
“There was no arguing,” said Dresel, of the process deciding who gets which awards. “We didn’t have to do anything.”
Natalie (Lenard) Anderson, 1996 team member and a varsity volleyball coach in her own right, says she asked her coach how she was able to get the team members to get along. Anderson learned it came naturally for the team, since they were good people, who honestly cared for each other.
Players said that relationship was another thing that made the season so special. So many people contributed as part of the team. The goal of the team was to get far enough ahead, that the bench players were able to play.
