Wausau Newman Catholic defeated Florence 3-0 Thursday morning in a WIAA Division 5 state semifinal at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis.

The defending state runner-up Cardinals will advance to the state championship, seeking the program’s first state title since 2021.

Newman Catholic topped Florence by scores of 25-12, 25-23, 25-23. The LadyCats were making their first appearance at the state tournament.

Camille Sobolewski led Newman with 24 kills. Florence was paced by Kelsi Chrisman’s 10 kills and eight assists.

Neman Catholic, the top seed, will face No. 3 Rib Lake for the state title at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Florence stats:

Kelsi Chrisman, 10 kills, 8 assists, 9 digs, 1 block

Miley Vandenheuvel, 5 kills, 2 assists, 12 digs, 3 blocks

Sami Demuri, 3 kills, 9 assists, 3 digs

Ashlyn Vandenheuvel, 3 kills, 1 assist, 2 aces, 4 digs, 2 blocks

Naomi Millan, 1 kill, 1 ace, 9 digs, 1 block

Emily Wolske, 1 block

Ashley Peterson, 6 digs